How Ramadan TV Dramas Serve As A Conduit For Cultural And Social Change
CAIRO — Mayar and three-time ex-husband Asaad hit the limit for the maximum number of times they are allowed to remarry. In Islam, a woman who divorces her husband three times must marry another man (in Arabic a muha’lil) before she can return to him.
He then threatens to take sole custody of their only daughter, so she has no option but to temporarily marry a muha’lil to remarry Asaad for the fourth time for her daughter. During this time, she meets a man who treats her with love, maturity and respect.
This is the tangled plot of “Qalbi wi Motfahu” (in English, “The Key to My Heart”), one of a slew of TV shows released this Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting but also a time when family’s gather around the TV.
For the past few years, many of those TV dramas have tackled women’s issues, triggering public discussions that have led to cultural, social and legal changes. Dramas about women this Ramadan also include “Hezbet Omri” (“The Sum of My Life”), which highlights the financial difficulties of the protagonist as she seeks alimony after divorce; and “Ikhwaati” (“My Sisters”), which features an all-female cast and is about four sisters who face challenges as they pursue their dreams outside traditional societal norms.
Egyptian independent feminist organizations and the National Council for Women typically monitor such works that address women’s issues and comment on them in news releases, seizing the opportunity to bring these issues to the forefront of public discussions in the media and in legal circles.
The 2022 series “Faten Amal Harbi,” which is the name of the protagonist, for instance, tackled the lengthy litigation procedures in divorce cases, sparking controversy and leading to a presidential call for updating Egypt’s personal status laws. In 2023, “Taht El Wesaya” (“Under Guardianship”) discussed the legal and financial labyrinth of widows’ guardianship rights over their children, leading to proposed legislative amendments set to pass later this year.
A seminal Egyptian 1975 film starring Faten Hamama titled “Orido Hallan” (“I Want a Solution”) led to an overhaul of divorce proceedings following the portrayal of how an intransigent husband refused to leave his wife who was caught up in an endless legal battle.
As a result, in 1979, the law was amended restricting polygamy, acknowledging the right of wives to divorce without proving harm and giving divorced mothers the right to keep the marital home until custody of the children ends. Furthermore, it abolished the compulsory implementation of obedience rules that forced a married woman to remain in the home against her will.
Eventually, these laws led to the seminal khula law in 2000, a no-fault divorce in which women do not need to provide grounds when making such a request.
“Art has always played a role in changing culture and legislation,” Magda Suleiman, project manager for sexual and reproductive health at the Women's Rights Issues Foundation, told Religion Unplugged.
Last Ramadan, she recalled, a series called “Alatwala” (“The Wise Guys”) addressed the prevalence of sickle cell anemia — a genetic disorder resulting from consanguineous marriages and child marriage — particularly in the Bahariya Oasis region of northwest Giza.
“The show led to a decision by the ministry of health to mandate genetic blood tests, including sickle cell screening, as part of the obligatory pre-marriage health examinations,” Suleiman said.
With high family viewership during Ramadan, discussions sparked by these dramas often extend beyond the holy month, attracting attention from critics and civil authorities.
“We often struggled to introduce awareness campaigns about such culturally sensitive issues,” Suleiman said, "but now, ordinary citizens come to us demanding workshops on things like revenge porn.”
She cited this year's dramas “Sid El Nas” (“The Patriarch”), which shed light on young women’s struggles in low income neighborhoods where culture and tradition dictate every aspect of life, and “W Teqabel Habib” (“Meeting a Lover”) about how in-laws wield enormous power over a divorced woman’s custody rights.
Turbo-charged legislative change
During Ramadan in 2013, the series “Zaat” (“Self”) featured harrowing scenes of female genital mutilation. A decade later, in 2023, “Hadret El Omda” (“The Sheriff”) revisited the issue, highlighting its continued prevalence despite being criminalized in 2008 and the implementation of harsher penalties in 2021. Those penalties target parents or guardians requesting the procedure in addition to doctors who perform it.
Referring to “Qalbi wi Motfahu,” Nashwa El-Deeb, a member of Egypt’s Parliament who has been advocating for amendments to the personal status law since 2022, said that television drama helped lawmakers grasp pressing issues.
“The series “Ekhwaty” (“My Sisters”) addresses the issue of violence against women through the murder mystery genre. Drama makes it easier for legislators to introduce bills and brings problems closer to decision-makers,” said El-Deeb, emphasizing how storytelling should foster solutions rather than incite further violence.
El-Deeb cited the 2023 series “Taht El Wesaya” (“Under Guardianship”), noting how it led to a surge in demands to amend personal status laws, specifically regarding financial and educational guardianship over children.
A tool for sustained change
In 2024, the National Council for Women issued a statement commending Ramadan dramas for featuring 14 female-led productions. The council noted that 26% of these works addressed violence against women and family issues as well as shedding light on matters related to youth.
Film critic Magda Khairallah praised this year’s dramas for delving into Muslim women’s daily struggles, economic challenges and employment opportunities. She specifically commended “80 Bako” (“80 Packs”) for depicting strong female characters who shape their own destinies. She also noted the importance of dramas like “Qalbi wi Motfahu” (“The Key to My Heart”) for tackling authoritarian male figures and the complexities of repeated divorce.
“But TV drama alone cannot bring change,” Khairallah cautioned. “It only prepares society for transformation.”
Meanwhile, the feminist initiative known as Superwoman analyzed Ramadan dramas and identified works that positively portray women versus those that reinforced stereotypes, criticizing, for example, the sitcom “Ashghal Shaqa Geddan” (“Very Hard Labor”) for trivializing women’s roles under the guise of comedy, while praising “80 Bako” for portraying female solidarity and “W Teqabel Habib” (“Meeting a Lover”) for addressing male dominance.
Sociologist Saeed Sadeq noted the role of drama in shaping attitudes and influencing policies.
“Strong female characters challenge gender stereotypes and spark conversations about domestic violence, sexual harassment, reproductive rights and gender equality,” Sadeq said. “Such narratives inspire viewers and push for legal reform.”
Yet Sadeq criticized some shows for perpetuating traditional gender roles, like “80 Boko,” which “portrays a hairdresser struggling to save money for marriage (and) simply reinforces the image of the conventional female,” he added, noting that this comes at the expense of tackling issues like female unemployment and violence against women.
This article is published in collaboration with Egab.
Faten Sobhi is an Egyptian journalist focused on human rights issues and women's issues.