Selective Omission: Inserting Farah Pahlavi and Jehan Sadat into the Women's Movements of Iran and Egypt

Abstract

Farah Pahlavi and Jehan Sadat have both been described as leaders' wives who were Westernized. While this premise is not untrue, to label them as only demonstrating Western actions and having Western ideas denies Iran's and Egypt's women's movements from having any influence upon their lives. The premise of this work is that Farah Pahlavi and Jehan Sadat engaged the historical legacies of the debates concerning women's role in society. Both women have been omitted from the historical narrative because of their identification as a Westernized element in society. This work explores the legacies of the construction of womanhood in Iran and Egypt (via a discussion of the women's movements) and how Farah Pahlavi and Jehan Sadat interacted with their particular countries experiences during their tenure as leader's wives.