The Re-reading of Patriarchy Discourse Elements in Egypt's Society

Patriarchy is a term for a system or structure that has women under its control through social, political, and economic institutions. Patriarchy is also a subset of patriarchal system that its main aim is domination over women and their subjugation. Since many Arab critics and intellectuals consider the reason of women’s problems and backwardness in the domination of patriarchal system they also consider their development and liberation in fighting with this system. Accordingly, along with the start of awakening movements in Arab world, women’s libertarian movements were also formed that struggle with patriarchal system was among their objectives. Mohamed Hassanein Heikal the Egyptian writer, politician, journalist, and jurist is one of the pioneers of this field in Egypt. A part of his works is dedicated to present women’s problems and issues and the criticism of patriarchal system in Egypt. Among these works are his short story collection titled “Gosas Mesriat” in which many of women’s issues in Egypt in the years following World War II is portrayed. The applied analyses in this collection indicate patriarchal culture is the most important discourse that has been criticized by Heikal and it can be studied in three individual, familial, and social fields.