Oral History Archive Hikmat Abu Zayd

Dr. Hikmat Abu Zayd is a Professor of Sociology, and the first woman to serve as a minister in Egypt. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1940 from the Department of History at the Faculty of Arts, Fouad I University, then a master’s degree from the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, in 1950, before earning her doctorate in Psychology from the University of London, in England, in 1955. She worked as a Professor of Sociology at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, and was appointed as the Minister of Social Affairs in 1962. Hikmat was involved in the political activism against the British occupation in Egypt at a young age, and was a leading figure of the schoolgirl’s protests. In addition, she was the only woman on the Central Committee of the Arab Socialist Union. President Gamal Abd al-Nasser dubbed her “the merciful heart of the revolution.”

In the interview, Hikmat talked about growing up in an educated and patriotic family. Her father worked at the Railways Authority, and was the chief supporter of her education, despite his family’s objections. Hikmat described her father as a progressive enlightened man, who was passionate about education. Contrary to his family’s conviction that girls’ education was pointless, he believed that educating girls was as important as educating boys. Hikmat stressed that it was her father who provided her with the knowledge resources, through the huge number of books he made available to her, which enabled her to excel academically.

Hikmat lived with her family in the Village of Sheikh Dawood, at al-Quseya, Assiut Governorate. Since there were no elementary schools in her village, she attended elementary school at the city of Dayrout, which meant that Hikmat had to take two train trips to get to school every day. She described her journey to school as a struggle, yet she held on to her school education, and never gave up. Since her father moved a lot for work, Hikmat first attended primary school in Suhag Governorate, where she began to learn the English language, before completing her primary education in Aswan, where the foreign language taught at school was French. She recalled Aswan’s ancient Egyptian monuments, beautiful nature, sailboats, and Nile cruises, and how she remained emotionally tied to Aswan throughout her life.

Hikmat moved to Cairo to attend the boarding division of Helwan Secondary School. For Hikmat, this school had a vital impact on her academic and intellectual development, because it had a highly competent teachers, among whom was Ms. Asmaa Fahmi, the history teacher. Hikmat recalled Ms. Asmaa’s strong sense of national patriotism, and her ability to deepen the students’ love and attachment to history. It was Ms. Asmaa who nominated Hikmat to travel abroad on an academic mission. Among her other teachers, Hikmat recalled Ms. Ihsan al-Qousi, as well as Ms. Nazla al-Hakim, who cared a lot about her students, both personally and academically, and was keen to listen to their complaints, and to encourage them to give their opinions. In 1936, and while still at school, Hikmat led a students’ demonstration, protesting against the withdrawal of the constitution, and against the British occupation in Egypt. Hikmat recounted that although Ms. Nazla was against her involvement in the demonstrations, and even suspended her as a result, Ms. Nazla sent a letter to the League of Nations, on Hikmat’s behalf, protesting against the brutal treatment of the demonstrating citizens.

After graduating school, Hikmat enrolled in the History Department, at the Faculty of Arts, at Fouad I University, and resided in Cairo, at the Boarding School for University Girls, which was established by Nabawiyya Musa. Hikmat recounted that during that time, the Faculty Dean, Dr. Taha Hussein, introduced free education for girls, and encouraged women, such as Suhair al-Qalamawi and others, to join the Faculty of Arts. Dr. Taha Hussein initially enrolled Hikmat in the French Department. When she met with him to ask to join the History Department, he refused at first, but gave in to her wishes, in the face of her strong persistence. Upon her graduation, Hikmat attended the Institute for Education, and studied under the tutelage of Karima al-Saeed. She then worked as a history teacher at Helwan Secondary School, and the school principal was Ms. Aziza Naguib. Hikmat followed in her teachers’ footsteps, maintained a close relationship with her students, and made them enjoy studying history.

Hikmat traveled on an academic mission to England. She earned her MA from the University of St. Andrews in 1950, and her PhD in Psychology from the University of London in 1955. Upon her return to Egypt, she was appointed at the Girls’ College, founded by Asmaa Fahmi. The Girls’ College was previously the Higher Institute for Education, and was transformed into the Girls’ College in 1955. Hikmat recounted that in 1956, and after the Tripartite Aggression on Egypt, military trainings were offered to the female students at school to prepare them for any similar attack. At that time, Hikmat joined the Red Crescent, as well as the National Committee that included Saiza Nabarawi and Inji Aflatoun.

Hikmat sustained her political commitment and activism, and delivered speeches to raise awareness during the 1961 dissolution of the union between Egypt and Syria, and after the 1967 Naksa. Hikmat recalled that she travelled to the distant villages and precincts to revive the spirit of national resistance and perseverance. She devoted her articles in al-Gomhouria Newspaper to raise political awareness, and spread the national spirit by discussing models and representations from Egyptian history. Hikmat was nominated to join the Charter Committee, and was the only woman member of the Central Committee of the Arab Socialist Union at the time.

Hikmat became the first female minister, and assumed responsibility for the Ministry of Social Affairs. Her membership of the Central Committee put her in charge of the ministries of Culture, Education, and Higher Education and Scientific Research. After fulfilling her post at the ministry, Hikmat worked as a professor at al-Fateh University in Libya, and received the Great al-Fateh Medal. When she returned to Egypt, she started teaching at the departments of Psychology and Sociology at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, and specialized in teaching urban and rural sociology. Hikmat was proud that a number of her students became the Faculty’s heads of departments and vice-deans, such as Dr. Ismail Abd al-Bari, Dr. Ahmed Zayed, and Dr. Mahmoud al-Kurdi. Her female students became pioneers in various fields, among whom was Nawal al-Saadawi, Amal Fahmi, Nemat Fouad, Awatef al-Badri, Zakeya Rushdie, and Nabila Ibrahim.

Hikmat valued political action, which prompted her to become a member of the Governorate’s Council along with Aisha Abd al-Rahman, Moufida Abd al-Rahman, Nawal al- Saadawi, Karima al-Aroussi, Saad al-Din Wahba, and Farid Abu Hadid. Hikmat was also a member of the Social Committee of the Supreme Council of Culture. In collaboration with Fayeq Farid, Abd al-Azim Anis, and Ahmed Abu Zaid, Hikmat formed a national committee in London, responsible for creating laborer collectives to be the voice of the revolution. She also established a hospital, a Quran school, and a library in her home village, al-Sheikh Dawood, where Hikmat’s name was given to a main street. She paid the tuition fees for university and school students in the village, and as a result, the people of the village named the village’s primary school after her. She also set up a deposit fund of which the proceeds were allocated to low-income students studying at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University.

Hikmat Abu Zayd published several books, including Social Adaptation in the New Egyptian Countryside, and History: How to Teach It and Learn It. She was interested in reading and acquiring knowledge, and believed in being an “encyclopedic person,” who had sufficient knowledge in all fields. As a teacher, she was keen on building personal human relations with her students. Hikmat viewed herself as an Arab, not just an Egyptian. She enjoyed a strong sense of patriotism, political awareness, and eagerness to serve her country with everything she had.