Chapter 3: Qasim Amin: Champion of Women’s Liberation

Muslim women in Egypt and throughout the world have been forced into false dichotomies of either pursuing autonomy and emancipation or maintaining their roots, traditions, and religious beliefs. Literature on Muslim leaders who promoted Muslim women’s emancipation while aligning it with religious values and beliefs is scant. Using the lens of transformative leadership, the purpose of this chapter is to share Qasim Amin’s story as an example of a Muslim leader whose writings and actions triggered a significant debate on the status of women in Egypt and the Middle East and planted the seeds for subsequent legal reform regarding women’s equality and the rights of women in the family and society.