Council officials say their job is not to defend detained female protestors or support particular candidates CAIRO: After three female protestors were detained for about a month following their participation in pro-democracy and solidarity demonstrations, the role of women's rights organizations and their effectiveness are being tested, with the state-run National Council for Women (NCW) receiving much criticism for not using its authority to support the women. Some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have organized visits to the detained protestors, hiring lawyers to defend their cases and denouncing the on-street harassment of women and their detention in official statements. This is as far as a civil organization can go, says Nuhad Abul Qumsan, president of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights. Abul Qumsan, who has visited the three detainees (Asma Ali, Rasha Azab and Nada El Qassass), says the current actions taken by involved NGOs help keep the issue alive. Presenting the facts to the public, she continues, and exerting internal pressure are the aims of her and others' efforts. The NCW is the only organization able to take a more influential role that could positively change the direction of events for the three detainees, notes Abul Qumsan. On May 20, their detention, like other arrested activists, was extended for an additional 15-day period. Even after their official release, the three female detainees were held at a police station for quite some time before they were let go. Letters signed by the three detainees expressed dismay over the living conditions in prison and the continuity of their support for the cases that led to their imprisonment. On the other hand, NCW officials stress that it isn't their responsibility to defend female demonstrators. "By mandate, it is not the National Council's specialization to defend women in demonstrations, says Reham Felfela, project coordinator of Women Political Empowerment at NCW. She explains that NCW's framework entails planning and setting policies, "but not to protect women in demonstrations, because this has a lot of dimensions. Why are they down there? What are they affiliated with? Do they have the right to demonstrate or not? A lot of things are taken into consideration. With the current volatile political scene in Egypt, women's participation has increased, and so has the price of their participation. Sexual harassment of female protestors has become a noticeable trend at demonstrations and, like their male counterparts, they have also been arrested. Yet, on the formal front, women are not making considerable gains in various elections compared to male candidates. NCW, with a committee for political participation, has an agenda for enhancing female participation. According to Felfela, the three-fold plan includes providing training for women in order to run in elections, encouraging women to vote and researching the reasons keeping citizens away from voting ballots and targeting these reasons in media campaigns. According to the NCW Web site, 317 women graduated from training courses aimed at increasing female candidates. The courses, Felfela explains, cover leadership skills, how to form an electoral program, how to manage campaign finances, as well as prepping the women for political participation. But the council's job stops there. Ramy Mohsen, program officer of Women Political Empowerment at NCW, says the council doesn't support or back candidates; it only prepares them for elections. He quotes the council Secretary General Farkhanda Hassan in saying the council s role is educational - more like private tutoring, he says. Felfela, has many success stories to tell about the increasing level of awareness she has witnessed within Upper Egypt regarding women s political participation. Although the number of the women trained by the current project and the previous one are limited to about 600 and these trainees start spreading what they have learned within the communities they live in. Gradually, the numbers and consequently awareness increase. There is even talk of researching possible legal changes that would enhance the political participation of women. Acknowledging the training, Abul Qumsan remains critical. "How can I encourage [women] to participate and when they are arrested or harassed I don't support them, she says. With centuries-old traditions revering women s honor or ird, the impact of sexual harassment on Middle Eastern women mushrooms compared to elsewhere in the world. Felfela admits to the possibility that harassment could push women back when it comes to political participation but she says that "it's a disaster if a woman lets go of her beliefs because of difficulties or obstacles. "People denounce the council because they don't understand its specializations, stresses Felfela. It could be a problem in the way the council is communicating its mission, she continues, or "it could be because people have the habit of attacking before understanding. According to the presidential decree through which the council operates, its duties include monitoring and evaluating "the implementation of public policy concerning women s issues and submitting relevant proposals and observations to the concerned authorities; to advise on the draft laws and decisions pertaining to women prior to their submission to the concerned authority and to recommend laws and decisions necessary for the advancement of women . Organize training sessions to raise awareness of the role, rights and duties of women. Mohsen notes that the council has organized several sessions on the topic of female harassment, a rising trend in the country s streets regardless of demonstrations. With male and female attendees and different experts, the sessions addressed the general topic, with no specific mention of harassment of female demonstrators. He adds that the council has denounced many recent mishaps, including the latest sectarian violence and has made several recommendations to the president in this regard. Dr. Farkhanda follows through with the statements and recommendations issued by the council, he says. The online archive of the council's press releases, however, shows no statements or recommendations condemning violence and harassment against female protestors by security forces. In a 2005 publication produced by the New Woman Foundation, a women s rights NGO known for its continuous in-field activities and studies, writer Amal Abdel Hadi quoted a popular sports cheer in criticizing the NCW: Why you are still here? Leave. With a picture of journalist Nawal Aly, who had earlier fallen victim to sexual harassment during the May 25, 2005 referendum demonstration, raising a banner with the same phrase, the article heavily criticized the NCW and its political participation department. Abel Hadi quoted NCW Secretary General Hassan, saying the council couldn t defend the harassed female protestors because they weren t demonstrating for women s rights. Abel Hadi said that if calling for democracy is not a women's demand then, What are the demands that the council considers to be women s? She said women s movements around the world, including Egypt, have surpassed the point of helping women establish their own micro projects. What does the respected council s political participation committee do? wrote Abdel Hadi. What are the female demands that they adopt? Don t these call for women s rights in political participation, in nominating themselves and in voting? Doesn t this include the discussion of the legal terms that organize this participation? Or is their role only to defend the policies of the National [Democratic] Party? Abu Al Qumsan also supports the last accusation, saying the NCW considers itself to be part of the NDP, not the government. Established by a presidential decree and presided over by Egypt s first lady Suzanne Mubarak, the council has often attracted such accusations. The physical proximity between NCW s and NDP s headquarters - both are located on the same premises, sharing the same gate - have accentuated the strength of the accusations. Council officials, however, strongly refute such claims. Mohsen stresses that there are no biases or any type of discrimination in their project s work. Women are trained regardless of their affiliations, he says.
