Emily Bisharat

Emily Bisharat (died 2004) was a Jordanian lawyer, political activist and philanthropist, known for being the first female lawyer in the Kingdom of Jordan. She established the Arab Women's Union in the 1950s, fought for women's suffrage in Jordan, and was active in international discussions of Palestinian rights. She founded the Arab Women's Federation.

Early life and education Bisharat had two sisters, and her father's family came from the city of Salt, in Balqa Governorate, 35 kilometers northwest of Amman. As a young woman, Bisharat wanted to become a lawyer, but faced opposition from her father on the grounds that Jordanian women were not supposed to take up any professions besides teaching. She attended the Ramallah Friends School, and later studied English at the Syrian-Lebanese College. During the 1930s, Bisharat worked as a teacher.

Women in Jordan were not legally permitted to inherit money or property, so when Bisharat's father died, he left all his money to his nephews instead of his daughters. Bisharat saved up her earnings and enrolled in law school, finally earning her law degree from the London Metropolitan University. at the age of 41, Bisharat founded the Arab Women's Federation (Ittihad al-Mar'ah al-Arabbiyah). In late 1954 the union presented a memorandum to the prime minister of Jordan, requesting that women be legally allowed to vote and run for office. In 1957, the Arab Women's Union was forced to close, due to the introduction of martial law and a government crackdown on political parties and unions. ) to various charities and the church, and donated her library, sewing machine, printer and spectacles to the Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI).