By Ayman Abdel- Wahab Women's Day is a reminder that across the world, and especially in Egypt, the task of women's liberation is far from complete. We've signed many covenants asserting the equality of women, but reality is a different story. Egypt doesn't have a women's movement to mention. This is rather sad, considering that a century or so ago women were leading the way, redressing wrongs, setting precedents, and generally telling the rest of society how to act. The women's movement then, led by Hoda Shaarawi and Malak Hefni Nasef among others, had the full support of key public figures, including Sheikh Mohamed Abdu, Sheikh Rashid Reda and Qassem Amin. Women and liberals banded together against the British while clamouring for the end of male-dominated customs. The women's movement fought against the hijab, a phenomenon that has crept back into our streets in recent times. Women's groups fought for the education of girls and for political participation while offering generous assistance to the underprivileged. The Intellectual League of Egyptian Women, formed in 1914, was only one example. Another was the Mohamed Ali Sanatorium, a medical facility for the poor spearheaded by women in 1909. During the first quarter of the 20th century, women were responsible for 30 civil society groups out of a total of 195. How many do we have now? How many women's organisations are speaking up against outmoded traditions, protesting against their under-representation in government, and fighting for the rights of the poor? It is sad to see women so under-organised at a time when outmoded conservatism is on the rise. We need a women's movement that is as daring in its acts and groundbreaking in its outlook as that of the early 20th century. This week's Soapbox speaker is director of the Civil Society Programme at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
