AceShowbiz - Girl power has taken on a whole new meaning for Beyonce Knowles ever since she visited Egypt and saw the way women are treated in the Middle East. Like Alicia Keys before her, the "Crazy in Love" hitmaker was touched and inspired by the beauty and culture of Egypt - but she was shocked by the little freedom women have there.

She tells Billboard magazine, "Once the sun went down, I saw not one woman; it was shocking and fascinating to me, because it was so extreme. I saw thousands of men walking down the street, socializing in bars, praying in mosques - and no women. I felt really proud when I performed and saw the strength that the women were getting through the music."

"I remember being in Japan when Destiny's Child put out 'Independent Women', and women there were saying how proud they were to have their own jobs, their own independent thinking, their own goals. It made me feel so good, and I realized that one of my responsibilities was to inspire women in a deeper way."