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†ºWMF issued, in Fall 2002, the second research study in the occasional paper series “Papers of Memory”. It is a joint research paper by Omaima Abu Bakr and Hoda El Saady with the title Women and the Religious Life in the Medieval Period: Islam and the West. The paper sheds light on the neglected history of women as religious scholars in the Islamic societies during the pre-Islamic period. The study is a historical survey of the women who worked in the religious field; jurists and juriconsults. It is an attempt to identify their position among the religious elite in Islam, comparing them to the Christian saints of Europe during the same period. The comparative aspect opens new avenues for research, analysis and questions of women’s history, cultural and popular patterns of memory and social discourse.
 
†ºPioneers of the 20th century: Figures and Issues, is the book published recently by the WMF 2001, edited by Hoda Elsadda. The book contains the research papers that were presented in two conferences held by the WMF in the remembrance of Malak Hifni Nasif and Nabawiya Musa, two pioneer women at the turn of the 20th century. The first chapter of the book deals with Malak and her contribution to the issues and debates of her day. The second chapter sheds light on Nabawiya and her achievements in the general context of the Egyptian political cultural scene all the time. It also focuses on her role in modern Egyptian history and education. The third chapter deals with work and education in Egypt throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Chapter four presents presentations in a roundtable discussion and finally, the book ends by the personal narratives of three women who had active public roles in 20th century Egypt. The work in general is a collection of articles discussing the main concerns of the early decades of the 20th century: gender, nationalism, education, work, modernity and tradition. They all present different discourses and analytical perspectives adding up all to enrich our knowledge of the historical context of pioneer women.
 

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