ABSTRACT
The success of Our Bodies, Ourselves (OBOS) in the United States (US) can be attributed to its ability to speak to a broad spectrum of women and to provide a politics of knowledge, which was both accessible and empowering. OBOS was, of course, a distinctively North American product, both in content and format. It draws upon a long populist tradition of self-help with its emphasis on self-improvement and empowerment through knowledge. The globalization of OBOS’s travels falls into three stages: from the US to publisher-based translations in Western Europe in the 1970s to ‘inspired’ adaptations in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, to the more recent collaborative projects sponsored by foundations, particularly in so-called ‘Third World’ countries and Eastern Europe. In contrast to direct translations, the majority of the foreign editions fell under the category translation/adaptation. The issue of female genital excision has, not surprisingly, stirred considerable debate both within and outside Egypt.
