CAIRO: A leading Egyptian women's organization has called on the interim government to put women into greater positions of power, including as governors. The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) said on Wednesday that they were satisfied over the recent statements from Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and Minister of Local Development Mohamed Attaya when they said the government was looking into appointing women in local administrations across the country as possible governors. Attaya said in a statement reported by ECWR that “women's working in the local administration is a trend that is developing and as long as women are able to do the job, the government has no objection for them to be appointed at the post of governor.” It comes as only one woman is in a position of authority in the country and none have been assigned to take on any current role in developing a new Constitution or electoral system. But, the ECWR said it “welcomes this approach, which confirms and consolidates the efforts of the civil society in general and women's associations in particular. “These associations fought for the participation of women in leadership positions in accordance with the values of citizenship. They fought back the attacks and exclusion and called for a society where women would be represented at all levels and positions,” the group said. Although they did say that it comes “late,” they praised the move as a step in the right direction for the January 25 revolution and “for Egyptian women.” “Right after the Revolution, it was striking to see that women were not at all represented in the government or the different committees. They have been deliberately excluded form these bodies although they took an active part in the revolution itself,” the ECWR statement said. They further called on the government and the ruling military junta to accept applications from women as part of increasing women's participation in the country. It comes at a time when women's issues have taken a back burner to the demands of the majority of protesters still in Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding change and reform. There are even court cases that have been filed to restrict a woman's ability to divorce her husband on her own and another to revoke the women's quota for Parliament. BM
