CAIRO: Ignoring social pressures to settle down and start a family, Egyptian women seem to be shifting their priorities, putting off the decision to get married, experts say. Statistics released by the National Center of Social and Criminological Research (NCSCR) showed a significant increase in the number of unmarried women in Egypt over 35 in the past five years. Psychology and sociology experts attribute the rising number of unmarried women over 35 to a change in women's mindset. Ahmad El Magdoub, an expert at the NCSCR, however pointed out that the number of unmarried women varies drastically among Egypt's governorates, according to their traditions and customs. Eighty-eight percent of unmarried women in Egypt are in Cairo, he said. Abdel Azim El-Matani, professor of Sharia at Al-Azhar University, said more and more women are following western trends. "Girls nowadays don't seem to be concerned with getting married and raising a family, they want equality with men in building high profile careers and pursuing postgraduate studies, he said. However, Salma Hassan, 26, member of the Facebook group "Spinsters for Change, sees the other side of the coin, considering the change in women's mindset a promising move towards achieving women's rights. She, however, explained that it is this mindset that pushes away potential husbands. "Qualities like independent, successful, and smart are our stigma. Those traits push the typical Middle Eastern man away, he becomes intimidated by such characteristics that leave him with no other option but to flee, she said. Asmaa Hesham, 32, a postgraduate student, believes that the modern-day woman chooses to stay single. "We embrace romance and relationships, but we have to calculate the costs involved. We know that to 'settle down' might cause us to settle for less, when life is much too short to let 'spinsterhood' be a problem instead of an opportunity, she said. The term "Spinster was originally used to refer to women who used to spin wool in order to be financially independent of men. However, during the Elizabethan era, a spinster (or old maid) referred to women over the customary age of marriage. Eglal Ismail, professor of sociology at Cairo University, says marriage is a special bond between two people who want to be happy together. "A lot of women in Egypt are pressured into settling so they don't have to carry the social stigma of a being a 'spinster'. "People pity unmarried women, which forces some to rush into marriage just so that people will stop describing them as 'old maids.' But by marrying the first person who asks, they risk swapping the spinster status for that of a divorcee, which is just as frowned upon, said Rasha Badr, a 30-year-old single woman. It is becoming more of a challenge to be unmarried in Egypt which led a large group of female activists to speak out against this concept, calling for reevaluating the way the society views women. Yomna Mokhtar, a 27-year-old journalist and creator of the "Spinsters for Change Facebook group, agreed that most stereotypes of spinsters are negative. She cited the stereotype of an unmarried woman that is portrayed in movies - an ugly, frumpy, depressed woman unable to find a man who will accept her. "Changing their hostile stereotypical image [is the girl's responsibility], it is her role first to be confident about herself . Marriage should not be her only goal in life. Women are active participants in society, Mokhtar said. Mohamed Abdel Aty, member of the Facebook group, urges women not to focus on being a "bachelorette but rather on being a woman in the first place. "The negative perception associated with spinsters is only the legacy of old times when unmarried women lacked beauty, family wealth or good reputation. Of course, the reasons have disappeared but the negative image remained, he said. "Women shouldn't compromise and get married unless they feel that they found their soul mate, he concluded. However, other experts attribute the rise in the number of unmarried women to other factors. Amr Gamal, economic expert, linked the phenomenon to economic conditions. "The current economic situation holds off the decision to get married; it starts from failing to find a house, to not being offered a dowry, or the inability to afford an expensive wedding, he said. Nehad Abul Qomsan, head of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR), echoed the same sentiments. "The vast majority of women in Egypt [over the marriage age] are postponing the call due to the economic as well as the psychological needs of today's women, she said.
