The Arab Women's Association submitted an application on Sunday for the formation of a political party, to be named the Union of Egypt's Women, and to include 15 NGOs working in the field of women's rights. “We are reviving the union that was formed by Hoda Shaarawy in the early 1900s,” said association president Hoda Badran, adding that the party would encourage five million women to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections and support independent female candidates. Shaarawy also said the association would boycott political parties whose platforms ignore women's causes. “We will also launch a campaign to eliminate illiteracy among women in two years,” she said. Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet, for her part, called on people to support the union. "It is an historical moment for Egyptian women,” she said, adding that the union would encourage the formation of similar unions in neighboring countries. Translated from the Arabic Edition
