As the curtain closes on International Women’s Day, Egyptians are once again celebrating a day consecrated to women. The difference, this time, is the local nature of the celebration. While 8 March is globally recognized as International Women’s Day, Egypt marks 16 March as the day to celebrate its female compatriots. The question one might ask in this case pertains to why Egypt celebrates its women once on 8 March – with the rest of the world – and once more on 16 March. The choice of date for Egyptian Women’s Day is by no means an arbitrary act. Akin to International Women’s Day, which falls on the day women marched for their rights in New York, Egyptian Women’s Day was chosen to be 16 March based on historical significance: the women’s protest of 16 March, 1919. The 1919 Revolution was a seismic event in Egypt’s modern history as its people protested against the British occupation, forever changing the meaning of independence in Egypt. It was a tumultuous period as the country attempted to regain the political freedom denied to them by the British occupation. The separatist movement, led by…
