Ester Fanous

Ester Fanous

Ester Akhnoukh FanousorEsther Fanous(Arabic:إستر فانوس), also known asEster Wissa(February 19, 1895,Assiut,Egypt– August 1990) was anEgyptianfeminist.She was a founding member of theNew Woman Societyand helped found theWomen's Wafd Central Committeein 1920. Her son Hanna Fahmy Wissa has written about her in his family memoirAssiout.

Life

Esther Fahmy Wissawas the daughter of doctorAkhnoukh FanousandBalsam Wissa,from a prominentCoptic Christianfamily. The national and religious atmosphere dominating her parents' house had a great influence on her personality; she accordingly knew the freedom through the ideas and opinions raised within her family and through the valuable books existing in her father's library. When the famous lawyer,Makram Ebeid,a friend of their family visited her house, Ester Fanous learned thatSaad ZaghloulPasha intended with some friends to travel toEnglanddemanding to lift British mandate on Egypt. She then decided to revolt against Britishcolonialismin early 1919.

Feeling grief when the demonstrations overwhelmedEgyptand theBritishshot the demonstrators, Ester wrote to President Wilson of the United States, saying: "Four persons were sent to fight in this battle" (she meansSaad Zaghlouland his friends), "if it is urgent we will send 4 hundreds may be 4 thousands or 4 millions to liberate the 4 precedents. Triple of this number insists to establish justice in our homeland. Elders regain their strength, men are valiant and women are virile".

Ester traveled toCairoto meet withSafia Zaghloulwho proposed the signature of three women on the message dedicated to President Wilson. Hundred women were gathered to sign this message and submit their objections; then they went in a feminist demonstration raising their flags and chanting slogans.

Together withHoda Shaarawi,Ester Fanous decided to establish a committee representing the women ofEgyptacting jointly with the delegation. In St Mark Church, the women held a meeting whereHoda Shaarawiwas nominated chair andFekria Hosny,Ehsan Al-Qoussyand Ester Fanous were nominated as secretaries. They subsequently held a political meeting in a mosque where they delivered their speeches for the first time with men.

In March 1923, Ester Fanous established with other women the Egyptian Feminist Union to improve women's level in literature and social aspect and to promote them to be treated on equal footing with men in rights and obligations. She was involved in other associations such as theYoung Women's Christian Associationand theLabour Association of Egyptas well as other charitable associations.

Ester Fanous died in August 1990, leaving a significant influence of national unity and the endeavour to emancipateEgyptianWomen.

External links

• Famous Egyptian Women, featuring many photos of Ester Fanousat theWayback Machine(archived March 15, 2005).
• Egyptian women make their mark.