CAIRO: There is still a long way to go before women achieve equal status with men in Egyptian society, although there are hints that the overall perception of Egyptians is improving toward women. A recent poll conducted by the Center for Information and Decision Support of the Egyptian Cabinet revealed that 79 percent of men and 86 percent of women consider a woman's right to vote in elections as “important or very important in this year's elections.” It is noted that this percentage has decreased in the survey among males by 14 percent from a similar poll in 2006. The poll on the status of women in Egyptian society – in a comparative report – noted that 67 percent of males and 87 percent of females agreed that an increase women's participation in political life is evidence of the progress of society. 69 percent of males and 67 percent female agreed that the laws in Egypt are currently equal between men and women in all aspects. This percentage has risen in the recent poll among female respondents by 17 percent from the one in 2006. On the views of citizens on women holding leadership positions, 78 percent of males and 51 percent of rejected women taking such posts. It should be noted that this percentage has decreased in the survey among males by 7 percent and among women by 13 percent, compared to 2009. 64 percent of men and 52 percent of women also declined women taking the notary post and in the same context, 71 percent of males and 43 percent of females rejected women becoming president. 62 percent of men and 33 percent of women rejected woman working as governors. A poll by the information center on “the status of women in the Egyptian society” revealed the rejection of 59 percent of males and 25 percent of females as President of the Cabinet. This highlights the growing struggle for women to achieve equal status in Egyptian society. On completion of women's education, the survey revealed that 95 percent of males and 98 percent of females consider it “important or very important to complete the women's education, especailly secondary, and this figure falls when asked to complete the women's education in terms of university degrees, where the rate was 80 percent among males and 88 percent among females.” BM
