Page 6 - Elite-Issue14

ELITE ISSUE 14, DECEMBER 2019 PAGE 5

The Egyptian Society Deals with Women Issues
Pragmatically and mainly From Economic

Viewpoints

the debates on this article lasted for almost two weeks, were the First of all, I see that Local Councils are of crucial importance,
opposition of the amendment preferred article as written in the where they hand power of the ownership of the State to common
1971 constitution: “Education is obligatory until the preparatory people, and in regard of the retard in elections of local councils,
stage, and to exert efforts to make it obligatory till Secondary many interpretations were made, some people say that elections
stage. ” but from our stance, this article wasn ’t efficient in its were postponed for security reasons, others said that it was due to
articulation, as it had lasted for decades with no efforts exerted to the lack of experience of the political parties, so I am not sure why
extend the stage of obligatory education, the debate on this article the elections were postponed, but we still call for the fastening of
had hidden agendas, as it had effects on other aspects, like Child these elections. As for my view regarding Women representation in
marriage, as extending obligatory education would be an Parliament I think that the current representation is extraordinary,
impediment to child marriages, that is why both parties of the as in comparison to the nineties, women only occupied 2% of
debate, our front and the Islamist front, saw the importance of this Parliamentarian seats, and so even though these women in
specific article, where during my debate in this article, I always parliament were feminist pioneers, it was still incredibly hard on
remembered the talk I shared with “Mohamed, ” that I previously them to represent women, but today, even if not all the
mentioned, that ’s why it was so important to me to adjust this representatives of women are not powerful feminists, but there bulk
article, as I knew the huge impact it had on the issue of child in the votes and their support for the pioneers in Parliament, you
marriage. cannot expect that once a woman enters parliament she will turn
into a strong feminist power, but it at least guarantees that her voice
Another debate that took place, which I think is a very good
will be heard in Parliament.
example of negotiations, is our debate on the article concerned with

Women quota in Parliament and Local Councils, the increase in
This reminds me of the fruitful initiative by Dr. Ali El-Deen Helal,
Women representation to reach 25% was opposed by all political
the he began during his work as Minister of Youth in 2000, where
forces, liberals, together with Islamists alike, and so we negotiated
he assigned a seat in the board of each Youth centre in Egypt, the
on two levels, first, we negotiated to increase women
result of this small act, was a change in the culture of people, and
representation in Local Councils, where we, as advocates for
women started entering these Youth centres, which is a shift of
women rights, allied with representatives of the youth, to amend
perception in the community that previously despised girls for
Article 180, concerned with representation of women and youth in
merely passing by Youth centres, that eventually lead to dedicating
the local councils, so that each category would have 25% of seats
a specific day for women in the swimming pools of youth centres
in, reaching 50% of the seats to Youth and Women, in addition to
all over Egypt, even in Upper Egypt, which is a great source of
that, in addition to that we amended the age eligibility to run for
amusement that wouldn ’t have been available for them if not for
elections to these councils, to start from 21 years old, on the second
this initiative.
level, we worked on women representation in Parliament, that was
Are you satisfied with the discourse adopted by the current
deemed more important than the local councils by all the other
administration on Women Issues? And do you think that the
political forces, but we understood that the local councils are more
“Year of the Egyptian Woman, ” has paid off?
important than Parliament were, getting 25% of seats in Parliament
I think that the discourse of the current administration is better
grants women 120 seats, on the other side, getting 25% of sear
than then precedent administrations, as it is a discourse that
Local councils, grants women more than 155,000 seats to represent
praises women, but also, even though new legislature were issued
women all over the republic.
in support of women rights, a large gap still persists between
From your point of view, What are the drawbacks of the retard of
these laws and the policies of their implementation, and as long
elections in the Local Councils? And do you believe that the rise in
as the question of: “Where should a Woman in need go to? ” is
Women representation in these councils to 25% is effective, or is it
still posed, and as long as there ’s no specific institution by states
just mere numbers with no solid effect?
that would help these women, then the Political power won ’t
have succeeded in achieving full women rights.