For centuries, Egyptian women were independent and individual from their male counterparts, enabling the advancement of the Egyptian women's rights movement. Key figures in this campaign range from Cleopatra to Hoda Shaarawi, and these influential women have faced the adversary of political instability in their efforts to further advance the rights of Egyptian women. For example, Cleopatra navigated the political circus in an attempt to remain the sole ruler of Egypt, and her romantic liaisons and military alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony solidified her status in Egyptian history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay However, the involvement of the two historical icons in Cleopatra's life reflected the external pressures that the Egyptian women's rights movement faced. These external pressures also highlight the force behind the internationalization of the women's rights movement. Specifically, the combination of the internationalization of women's rights and political unrest in Egypt caused the national women's rights movement in Egypt to regress. Throughout its history, Egypt has experienced three periods of political instability: its colonization by the British Empire, the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and finally its involvement in the Arab Spring, a period of anti-government protests throughout the Middle East and each period of political upheaval symbolizes the effect of international women's rights on the Egyptian national women's rights movement. From 1882 to 1952, the British Empire controlled Egypt and this imperialist giant imposed its customs and beliefs on its new conquest. The tumultuous relationship began because Britain desperately needed a connection with the Asian trade market. Specifically, Egypt's geographic location allowed this colonialist empire to further plunder new environments for resources. However, the relationship between Egypt and the United Kingdom was based on its imperialist discourse, such as its interest in the Suez Canal. With the opening of the Suez Canal, life for the British improved dramatically. From changes to their charts to simply faster sailing times to Bombay, the British remained determined to become the majority shareholder of the Suez Canal and thus outmaneuvered the French. The imperialist empire's interest only grew exponentially from this point on, and eventually the British controlled the Egyptian government personnel, finances, and armed forces of the country, reflecting total domination which the British demonstrated on the Egyptian people. At one point, the French and British reached an agreement that the British would get Egypt while France would take control of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. For a while, due to World War I, the British increased their imperial control over Egypt, but after the Great War, the period of peace led to an exponential rise in nationalism. Rather than attempt to resist the ominous Egyptian opposition, Britain slowly began to relinquish its control; however, they left their mark on Egypt by changing their beliefs, their economic structure, as well as the political climate of the country. The conquest of Egypt by the British not only had a profound impact on theEgyptian women's rights movement in various ways, but also reflect the impact of the international women's rights movement on Egypt. Throughout their period of control, the British continually imposed their ideals on Egypt and made decisions on its behalf without its consent, similar to the international campaign for women's rights. In comparison, this global movement for women's rights has provided definitive guidelines, in documents such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which countries have strived to reach. For example, Article 5 states: "States Parties shall take all appropriate measures: (a) Modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary practices and all other practices based on the idea of ​​the inferiority or superiority of either the sexes, or on the stereotypical roles of men and women. In this international document, he calls for the "modification" of the social models of each respective country, reflecting the lack of sympathy towards other cultures. The internationalization of women's rights has maintained an austere and rigid view that many countries fail to achieve. Specifically, the CEDAW Foundation attempted to eradicate gender roles in countries like Egypt, but in reality, it simultaneously advanced and regressed the Egyptian women's rights movement. Egypt faced another political upheaval with its 1952 revolution, which symbolized ambiguity. of the effect of the international women's rights movement on the Egyptian campaign for women's rights. This uprising began with the Free Officers Movement, a group of army officers led by Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser, who attempted to overthrow the current regime, King Farouk. However, as the revolution progressed, more and more aspirations emerged exponentially, such as the abolition of the monarchy. King Farouk reluctantly abdicated the throne and handed over power to General Muhammad Naguib, the coup's leading figure. Keeping their promises, the revolutionaries redistributed land, tried politicians for corruption and, in 1953, proceeded to eradicate the monarchy. Additionally, after the revolution, Nasser became Prime Minister with the removal of Naguib. His usurpation of power reflected a desire for stability after a period of uncertainty throughout Egypt, and this political upheaval led to the progression and regression of Egyptian society. Specifically, with the revolution, Egypt was given the ability to rebuild its governmental struggle to meet the needs of the people, rather than allowing continued maldistribution of wealth and resources in Egypt. The internationalization of women's rights has simultaneously progressed and regressed in Egypt. , similar to the effects of the 1952 revolution in Egypt. The advancement of women's rights in Egypt began around the 1940s, when a large number of women's organizations were established. For example, Madam Hoda Shaarawi established the Egyptian Feminist Union (EFU), and the creation of the EFU allowed her to participate in international feminist conferences. This iconic Egyptian feminist leader notably inspired a large number of women to reveal themselves throughout Egypt; To clarify, Sharaawi caused massive outrage, especially among Egyptian authorities, by her gesture when she crossed her veil into the sea. The simple act of a woman removing her veil reflects the perpetual struggle for the Egyptian movement for women's rights;meaning that women were gradually liberated, but at the same time oppressed by societal norms. This idea can also be present in the International Women's Year 1975: Egyptian Women in Two Decades, as it says: "Great efforts have been made during the last two decades for great efforts to women many of their privileges, which assimilates them to me in all political, social, financial and cultural spheres of life. »[4] The idea behind the words "great efforts" can be divided into two elements, legalization. women's rights and the real reality of women in Egypt. Under pressure from the international women's rights movement, the Egyptian government not only allowed women greater access to education and health care, but also increased their employment opportunities. International Women's Year 1975: Egyptian Women in Two Decades highlights evidence of this progress through statistics such as: "As shown in Table (9), there is a rapid increase in maternity centers and child protection. In urban areas, in some areas these centers increased from 79 in 1951/52 to 201 in 1970/71. »[5] These progressions have greatly helped women's rights in urban areas, but in rural areas, women have seen slower progress, simply due to their environment. . Overall, the internationalization of women's rights has advanced the domestic women's rights movement, but societal norms as well as gender roles have acted as restrictions to full progression. The Arab Spring, the most recent period of political unrest in Egypt, reflects the lasting impacts that decades of political uncertainty have had on Egypt, similar to the lasting impacts that the international women's rights movement has had on the Egyptian national women's rights movement. Specifically, the Arab Spring was a period of anti-government protests across the Middle East in early 2011. At its core, this movement emphasized "deep resentment toward aging Arab dictatorships, anger at the brutality of the security apparatus, unemployment, rising prices.” , and corruption following the privatization of state assets. »[6] The Arab Spring demonstrated the deep-rooted desire for change felt throughout the Middle East. Rather than sketching out a definitive conclusion for the Arab Spring, most people would say that its full ramifications remain to be seen. However, the Arab Spring is being called a failure by those who thought immediate change would occur. People believed that the removal of corrupt leaders throughout the Middle East would lead to improved living standards, but that region's chronic instability added additional strain to local economies. However, change never happens overnight, and sometimes changing societal or governmental structure does not happen in the way envisioned. Although the Arab Spring reflects the status of contemporary Egypt, the problems surrounding it correlate with the full effect of the international crisis. women's rights movement about the national women's rights movement in countries like Egypt. Specifically, the international women's rights community has worked to promote the idea of ​​continued progress for women's rights, and many countries, usually Western countries, have begun to adopt new goals for their countries . For example, countries like the United States have turned to ideas like the wage gap or equality.