The fight against sexual harassment in Egypt and Omar Sharif enters the world stage

The History Hour

BBC

History, Society & Culture, Personal Journals

4.4 • 879 Ratings

🗓️ 20 September 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes, all with an Egyptian theme.

We find out more about the 2014 fight against sexual harassment. And we hear from Professor Nicola Pratt, an expert on Middle East feminism about the significance of that moment in the fight for women's rights.

Also, we go to the 1960s when antiquities were saved to make way for the Aswan High Dam on the River Nile. And recollections from Egypt's first free democratic presidential election in 2012. Plus, the woman who broke the convention of the role of a first lady to help change divorce laws. And finally, we remember the moment the egyptian actor Omar Sharif swept onto the world stage in Lawrence of Arabia.

Contributors: Engy Ghozlan - co-founder of HarassMap Professor Herman Bell - scientist Rabab El-Mahdi - chief strategist to one of Mohamed Morsi's rival candidates Jehan Sadat - wife of President Anwar Sadat who helped change divorce laws Sherif Ali - Egyptian actor

(Photo: Women at a protest in Cairo, Egypt, in 2014. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:09.0	You're dead to me.
0:11.0	No, no, that's the name of our podcast. Sorry.
0:14.6	And we're back for a brand new series.
0:17.1	Not only is it British history, it was a...
0:19.0	The Quill Drop.
0:21.1	With more fun and facts from history, without taking it too seriously.
0:25.8	Empress Matilda, what is she going to do now?
0:27.7	She decides to take back some of the jewels with her.
0:31.0	Yeah, I'm taking these as well.
0:32.7	I'm going to come back for Tuscany one day as well.
0:35.2	You're dead to me.
0:36.6	Again, not you.
0:38.0	Name of the show.
0:38.8	Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:45.9	Hello and welcome to The History Hour from the BBC World Service with me, Max Pearson,
0:50.8	the past brought to life by those who were there.
0:53.6	This week we're focusing on
0:55.1	events from the history of Egypt, including around the turbulent times of the Arab Spring.
1:00.7	It was an out-of-body experience for me. I'm getting those bumps as I'm telling you this.
1:08.9	We'll look at the political dreams that were dashed in the aftermath of 2011.
1:13.3	Also, the First Lady who campaigned to change Egyptian laws on divorce,
	...

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