H. Kong jobless rate rises in May–July '25    Egyptian pound opens flat on Wednesday    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt expresses 'deep dissatisfaction' to Netherlands over embassy attack    Global pressure mounts as Gaza fighting intensifies and death toll surges    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    At TICAD, Egypt's education minister signs pacts with Casio, SAPIX    Madbouly invites Japanese firms to establish industrial zone in SCZONE    Cairo, Tokyo sign LOI to expand educational cooperation, support for persons with disabilities    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Al-Sisi meets Qatar PM, Bahrain security adviser to discuss Gaza crisis, regional stability    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Women protect rights from Islamist groups
Published in Daily News Egypt on 24 - 07 - 2011

CAIRO: Feminists dismayed that Egypt's revolution is failing to advance their cause are trying to rally disparate women's groups to defend women's rights from perceived threats from resurgent Islamists and other conservatives.
"The revolution is stolen by the military, the government, professionally organized groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and traditional political parties headed by opportunists," veteran feminist Nawal Al-Saadawi told Reuters in an interview.
"Women need to unite."
Campaigners say Egyptian women face some of the harshest treatment in the world: domestic violence, harassment and discrimination at work and in the law.
Female genital mutilation practiced on children is rife. Its advocates assert, wrongly, that it is called for in Islam's and Christianity's holy texts. Forced marriage of young girls is still common outside big cities.
According to the World Economic Forum's 2010 Global Gender Gap Index, which evaluates progress towards women's equality, Egypt ranks 125th out of 134 countries.
Feminists say there is no better time to unite because the main thing that split the women's movement — its domination by Egypt's former first lady, Suzanne Mubarak —was removed with the overthrow of her husband in February.
But with the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood targeting a big score in a parliamentary election later this year, Al-Saadawi says women must move fast to secure their rights.
Last month, activists published a Women's Charter signed by half a million Egyptians demanding a new constitution that entrenches gender equality, an end to sexual harassment and a minimum quota for women in parliament and the cabinet.
For now, only one woman is a fully fledged minister in the interim administration, fewer than under Mubarak.
Patriarchal System
"We are run by a patriarchal class system. The army is part of it and the government is part of it ... so women are excluded," said Al-Saadawi.
She wants to revive the defunct Egyptian Women's Union, a project she said was scuppered by the wives of former presidents Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak.
"We've constantly tried to form it since the 1970s. Jehan Sadat and Suzanne Mubarak stood against the feminist movement because they wanted feminine power to be under government control, not that of women," said Al-Saadawi.
Alarmed that Mubarak's overthrow has left Islamists free to vie for power, women are forming new advocacy networks and feminists such as Hoda Badran, Mervat Telawi and Al-Saadawi are trying to unite women to defend their rights.
Almost two-thirds of Egyptian men admit to harassing women, according to a 2008 survey by the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights. More than four-fifths of women complained of harassment that can go from staring and catcalls, indecent exposure and groping to more serious assault, the survey showed.
Women played their part in the 18-day popular uprising, occupying Cairo's central Tahrir Square day and night and treating the wounded when police fired on protesters. Many complained of being sexually molested by pro-Mubarak thugs.
Thousands took to the streets again on International Women's Day in March. Amnesty International said women detained by the military after the march complained of forced virginity tests, beatings, electric shocks and strip searches.
The army denied any virginity tests or other mistreatment.
"Sharia is a Lie"
Saadawi, 79, has been fighting for women's rights for decades. Jailed for her views in the 1970s, she was once threatened with assassination by religious fundamentalists. Age has not mellowed her forthright opinions.
"Sharia is a lie," she said, referring to Islamic law. "It is not written by God but by men. Tunisia banned polygamy, yet Tunisia follows Sharia. This is one of our goals now: to prohibit polygamy and introduce a secular family code."
She said Mubarak ensured women were held back by appointing religious leaders who promoted a patriarchal society and the continued practice of polygamy.
Now Salafis, ultra-conservative followers of a literal interpretation of Islamic texts, are demanding the government reverse a reform passed in 2000 that grants women a divorce if they return the dowry, give up property rights and provide eyewitness proof of physical abuse by the husband.
The women's union aims to push far beyond the 2000 law by eliminating the conditions for divorce and bringing Egyptian women's divorce rights in line with those in the West.
"(Salafists) use Islam to justify all oppression of women," said Al-Saadawi, a three-time divorcee herself. She said the divorce law was "already unfair since a woman has to give up all her economic rights to leave her husband".
"What have we heard of any political parties speaking about women's rights?"


Clic here to read the story from its source.