WUNRN
EGYPT - NEW CONSTITUTION WILL
ENHANCE WOMEN'S RIGHTS, AS FULL CITIZENSHIP
(
Egyptian
women married to non-Egyptians have faced huge difficulties conferring their
nationality on their children, which is regarded as a diminution of a woman’s
rights as a citizen and as a form of guardianship or patriarchal oversight over
her decision when choosing a husband.
Article
11 is a paradigm shift in terms of a
woman’s right to participate in decision making and holding public office, and
also shows concern for poor and marginalised women, together with reducing all
forms of violence against women. The Article stipulates: ‘The state shall
guarantee the achievement of equality between women and men in all their civil
and political rights and their economic, social and cultural rights, in
accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The state shall take
measures that ensure women are properly represented in representative
assemblies, as prescribed by law, and shall guarantee women the right to hold
public office and the highest administrative roles in the country, as well as
their appointment to judicial bodies and authorities, without discrimination.
The state shall also be committed to protecting women against all forms of
violence and shall guarantee women are empowered to reconcile their family
responsibilities with their work commitments. The state shall also be committed
to providing care and protection for motherhood, childhood, women who are the
main or sole earners in a family, elderly women and women most in need.’
Article
19 greatly contributes to the education of
girls, enabling them to make decisions for themselves. It also reduces violence
against women, particularly the practice of early marriage, by stipulating:
‘Education is the right of every citizen, the purpose of which is to build the
character and personality of an Egyptian, to preserve national identity, to
give a firm foundation to an enquiring and critical way of thinking, to develop
talent, encourage innovation and inculcate cultural and spiritual values as well
as to embed concepts of citizenship, tolerance and non-discrimination. The
state shall be obliged to take these aims into account in its educational
curricula and teaching methods and to make provision for them in accordance
with international standards of quality in education. Education is compulsory
until the end of secondary school or its equivalent.’
Another
important step was taken in
Article 93 which approved the state’s commitment to
international Conventions and Charters on human rights. Making these
international agreements a legal basis for the state is seen as remarkable
progress. The Article states: ‘The state shall be committed to the
international Conventions, Covenants and Charters on human rights ratified by
Despite
Egyptian women striving to attain some form of positive discrimination in all
elected assemblies, the 50-member Constituent Assembly was unable to support
the participation of women in Parliament. Participation in the local councils
was limited to 25%, but this is also regarded as an important step on the road
to women’s political participation, since Article 180 states: ‘Each local
authority shall elect a Council by means of a direct, secret, public ballot for
a term of 4 years. Candidates must be at least 21 years old. The law regulates
the other terms and conditions for nomination as well as the election
procedures, under which a quarter of seats are allocated to young people under 35
and a quarter of seats to women…’
Nehad Abu Al-Komsan, Director of
the ECWR and a backup member of the Assembly, in a statement said, ‘This Article will contribute
to the participation of women in the management of public affairs since the
number of female members of elected assemblies will be close to 13,000 across