The First Feminist and Independent Publishing Conference 2026 continued its second day with a session titled “On Feminist Publishing, Archives, and Memory,” featuring writer and researcher Dr. Sherine El-Banhawy, researcher and translator Dr. Victor Salama, and moderated by Hend Salem.
The session traced the historical roots of feminist publishing in Egypt and the Arab world, emphasizing its close connection to broader social and political struggles.
Dr. Sherine El-Banhawy described the conference as “a valuable gift to researchers in the field of feminist publishing in the Arab world,” highlighting Arab women’s early awareness of national and social issues. She also referred to pioneering figures such as Huda Sha’arawi, explaining how early initiatives in education and healthcare reflected women’s active role in shaping society. El-Banhawy further discussed works documenting Arab women’s participation in national struggles, framing feminist publishing as a historical extension of resistance and documentation.
Meanwhile, Dr. Victor Salama highlighted the role of women’s press as an important archival source documenting the transformation of women’s roles over time. He noted that his early exposure to feminist publications associated with pioneers such as Huda Sha’arawi helped shape his understanding of the field. “When I began researching the archives of feminist journals, I initially thought it was a marginal topic, but these publications addressed remarkably contemporary issues,” he explained, pointing to themes such as motherhood, social roles, and the challenges women faced under colonialism.
Hend Salem emphasized that Egyptian feminist publishing preceded, in many ways, Western efforts in addressing women’s labor issues, particularly domestic and care work. She stressed that feminist publishing is not only about producing knowledge, but also about creating spaces for women’s voices, revisiting early initiatives such as Hind Nawfal’s Al-Fatat magazine as part of this long-standing legacy.
The session reflected the role that the conference, organized by Elles Publishing House, seeks to establish as a platform for dialogue and for reclaiming the cultural memory connected to the history and transformations of feminist publishing.
