Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian author and women’s rights icon, dies

The famed writer, feminist and activist passed away aged 89 at Cairo hospital after suffering long illness, family says.

World-renowned Egyptian author Nawal El Saadawi, an outspoken champion of women’s rights in the Arab world, has died at the age of 89, her family said. El Saadawi passed away in a Cairo hospital after suffering a long illness, her daughter, Mona Helmy, said on Sunday. The prolific writer was a leading feminist who revolutionised discussions on gender in deeply conservative societies.