Mona Eltahawy
Egyptian-American journalist and commentator
Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian-American writer and commentator based in New York City. She wrote Headscarves and Hymens, a book on women's rights and sexual politics in the Middle East.
1 summary 20 min of listening
Born 1967 in Port Said, Egypt
Influenced by bell hooks
About Mona Eltahawy
Mona Eltahawy was born in Port Said, Egypt, in 1967 and is based in New York City. She is a journalist and social commentator whose essays and op-eds have appeared in outlets such as The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Guardian. She has also appeared as a guest analyst on US radio and television news shows. Her work looks at Egypt and the Islamic world, with subjects that include patriarchy, women's rights and the social and political life of Muslims. Headscarves and Hymens was her first book, published in May 2015. She has also written The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls (2019) and founded the newsletter Feminist Giant. Eltahawy has spoken at universities, panel discussions and interfaith gatherings. She was one of the people who spearheaded the Mosque Me Too movement through the hashtag #MosqueMeToo.