The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

With every passing International Women’s Day, we like to reminisce about the female figures who changed our points of view and gave us much to look up to. These figures usually include people like Huda Al Shaarawi, Samira Moussa, and many more. However, we need to turn to the inspiring Egyptian female role models we have today. 

Of these figures, Egyptian screenwriter Mariam Naoum shines the brightest, of course! So, in honour of International Women’s Day, we interviewed her. Curious to see what she said? Read it all here! 

Of all the characters you wrote, who’s the closest to your heart? 

Zat. She’s not just the one I like most—she also feels like me, like mother and grandmother and aunts. She just looked like so many women I knew, and it makes sense. Zat is all Egyptian women. 

Who was the first female character you wrote, and what was her story? How did this story change or inspire you? 

The first time I wrote about a female character was for a project at the Higher Institute of Cinema. She wasn’t actually the first female character, but she was the first one I really connected to. She was 29 years old, and the plot was about her being that age and not married yet. 

When I turned 29, I looked back on that and just thought that she was actually too young. I don’t know how I considered a 29-year-old a spinster—my perspective has totally changed now!

What female character do you want to write about? 

Oh, there are a lot of those! There are a lot of interesting characters out there, and I hope to have enough time and energy to write about them all. 

Are there any Egyptian or foreign female writers who you feel inspired by? 

I wouldn’t say there are any female screenwriters, but in terms of literary writers, I have to say I love the works of Radwa Ashour. I read some of them at a very formative stage of my life, and it shaped my perspective, 

What’s the greatest challenge that Egyptian women face these days? 

There are a lot of challenges for women in Egypt—and for the men too, but we’re just focusing on women today. These challenges include problems they face as a citizen, of course.

As for myself, though, I’ve never faced a problem because I’m a woman. Sometimes, I think it’s the opposite. I’ve been working for 22 years since my graduation, and all the problems I had were problems a screenwriter of any gender would have had. 

I have problems balancing work with motherhood, but being a parent was my choice. I wanted to be a mom and be successful at my job, so I had to double my efforts. But it had nothing to do with society or the industry. 

What message would you like to give to all Egyptian women and girls? 

I’d like to tell them to preserve their strength. I think there’s no one stronger than Egyptian women. The stereotype of Egyptian women being weak isn’t accurate—we’re strong and can withstand hardships. We can carry so much and sometimes shoulder responsibilities that are too big for us, but we’re still strong.

I just think Egyptian women need to preserve their strength and keep some of it for themselves. Not just use it for others—we need to use it to protect ourselves too.