Egypt recently celebrated International Women's Day (8 March) and Egyptian Women's Day (16 March). How appropriate then, that this week, women judges were finally permitted to pound the gavel at the State Council. The issue that had caused much concern and distress among certain conservative circles has now been laid to rest. This is a milestone in modern Egyptian political life. The Egyptian judiciary, almost seen as the most reputable sector of the Egyptian political establishment, now commands enhanced international respect. The equality of the sexes is now no longer taken for granted. Women are being taken more seriously. It was, after all, only last February that 334 out of 380 judges voted against the appointment of women to the State Council. No Egyptian woman can now be denied a high-profile position on the basis of gender. This decision will undoubtedly open up opportunities for women. Neither the Egyptian nor the Islamic Sharia law denies women full citizenship rights. Gender equality is a cornerstone of citizenship rights. This is a fresh beginning and Egyptian women are now free to pursue their political ambitions without hindrance. Egypt stands at a historical juncture and it is clear that the battle to gain full women's rights is now gaining momentum. Women still have a long way to go in many other spheres of life in Egypt. Women still do not enjoy full equality with men even though the law of the land gives them full and equal rights. There's a yawning gap between literacy levels between men and women, which is wider in rural areas. Women throughout the country still receive their primary social status through marriage and child-bearing. Hoda Shaarawi, the pioneer Egyptian feminist leader and nationalist who in 1923 founded and became the first president of the Egyptian Feminist Union was the first woman to publicly remove her face veil. She led women's pickets at the opening of parliament in January 1924 and submitted a list of demands to improve the situation for women in the country. She would have been proud of this week's achievement. This week the Cairo-based New Women's Foundation held a press conference to demonstrate its support for the decision to allow women to serve in the State Council. The Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights likewise applauded the decision. Egyptian women have achieved important gains in many respects in recent years, however they still lag behind men in issues such as education and political participation. Top judicial posts will long be dominated by men but at least from now on the ratio can only improve. There are many disturbing aspects of relations between men and women that still plague the country, in particular, the increased incidence of street harassment of women and subjugation of women in the countryside. In the past few years there have been landmark achievements as far as women are concerned such as the Nationality Law which gives women the right to pass on their nationality to their children from foreign-born fathers, and the Family Court and Children Custody Law. Women must not be excluded from the decision-making process of the country.
