I witnessed the impact of Sharia's interpretation on the status of women first-hand before immigrating to the United States. Commentators accused her of deliberately wearing a blue bra to invite the attack -- as if it even could have been seen beneath the black Islamic veil she wore before she was attacked. It is one of a growing list of online stations that have sprung up in Egypt including Horytna (Our Freedom) and Teet (an Arabic reference to the censor's "beep"). The amendments, which became known as the "women's rights law," were in the form of a presidential decree and subsequently approved by the People's Assembly. Tappan, Eva March. This is achieved through training, business incubators, accelerators, entrepreneurship networks, career fairs, and business-to-business matchmaking events. The ruling kings were said to have . El-Ashmawy, Nadeen. Anwar Mhajne. They have a great sense of humour. Estimates suggest that as many as 55% of protesters were female and approximately 60% of people voting in the most recent election were female. This is achieved by engaging young women and girls in cross-community dialogues, by building the capacity of community champions, and by creating safe spaces for young girls. Azza Hilal Suleman, an activist who tried to help the victim, was beaten by the same soldiers. The respect with which women were treated in Ancient Egypt had its basis in religion. The most disadvantaged group are rural adult women. Either through political and/or religious power, some women managed to become, de facto or de jure, the highest office holders in the kingdom, and share a status of co-rulers with men, even being depicted in monuments with the same height as their husbands or otherwise and even as the other Gods of Egypt. Egypt is not bound by the section of article 1 (definition of discrimination against females) that requires the submission to any body of arbitration to resolve disputes between the State and the Convention. And after all of these incidents in the course of a few months, men still think it is amusing to romanticize and underlie gender-based violence in a humorous context. by Michael Armanious However, the same leniency is not granted for women under the Article. Everything You Need to Know About Women in Ancient Egypt - Pyramids Land [15], A study by Ghada Barsoum suggests that there is a difference in reasons to pursue employment between unmarried and married women. A man can divorce his wife by saying "you are divorced" three times. Egypt: Spate of 'Morality' Prosecutions of Women [62], In the 2015 Egyptian parliamentary election women won 75 of the 568 seats up for election. The Global Economy in 2019 reported that the labor force participation rate for females in Egypt was 21.93%. Egypt 'worst for women' out of 22 countries in Arab world Perhaps with the exclusion of occupations, men and women had almost the same rights in ancient Egypt. Politically, they often managed to become Interregnum queens. Women's Legal Rights in Ancient Egypt - University of Chicago Here's 10 reasons I don't recommend visiting Egypt, based on firsthand experience. 10 STRONG Reasons I DON'T Suggest Visiting Egypt (Must Read) However, Ancient Egypt was a patriarchal society dominated by men. After Al-Hilali was forced to resign his post as the Grand Mufti, he went back to Egypt and condemned his former host country, Australia. Egypt is a signatory to The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. "[32] While this attitude is not representative of all Egyptians, it is widespread enough to present challenges for women who participate in the political action. It is no surprise that Sheik al-Hilali feels this way about women. Because she possesses the weapon of enticement [igraa].". Unfortunately, since the rest of the world's "leaders" are scared of them, we must watch this senseless destruction of all that is good until it finally becomes the war they are begging for. Refworld | Egypt: Treatment of women who do not conform to Muslim What happened? As of 2010, the female to male ratio was 0.96. USAID assists female entrepreneurs in growing and expanding their businesses. "It is said in the state of zina [adultery], the responsibility falls 90 per cent of the time on the woman. When women married, they depended on their husbands to make all decisions, while the women themselves were depended upon to carry out household chores. Michael Armanious, a U.S.-based news analyst and video producer, was born and raised in Egypt. The answer seems to lie with Islam's Sharia Law and how it is interpreted by the clerics at Egypt's -- and Sunni Islam's -- foremost religious establishment, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, and by other hardline fundamentalist groups in the country. An Egyptian woman was thought to be at the peak of her power when her sons had married because she automatically acquired the control over the newly growing families of her sons. Of course in recent years there have been several widely reported church bombings, like the twin 2017 Palm Sunday attacks in Alexandria and in a community north of Cairo, killing 44 and injuring more than 100. Police forces "entraped" members of the community through "social networking sites and dating applications" and gave them "harsh prison sentences." As political participants, women have been active in the revolutions of the Arab Spring, as well as subsequent protests and debates regarding the future of their nation. These ideas, unfortunately, have a real impact on how girls and women are treated in Egyptian society. Evil always kills its own. Give presents to her. Not all women worked in the family home or conformed to the typical roles of women. Web. Tahrir Square has been the site of many such assaults, with 150 attacks against women by groups of men reported during the single week of Hosni Mubarak's ouster. Furthermore, lower-class families, especially in Upper-Egypt, have tended to withdraw females from school as they reached puberty to minimize their interaction with males. In 2000, the law was amended by "The Law on Reorganization of Certain Terms and Procedures of Litigation in Personal Status Matters", a hotly contested legal act that broadened women's access to divorce. In Egypt, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is working to reduce gender disparities, empower women and girls, and help Egypt build an economically prosperous, sustainable future.. OUR WORK. [39], Egypt, along with a significant number of countries, ratified the convention, spelling out numerous reservations. Reducing the frequency of births, as well as increasing access to timely medical care, dropped maternal mortality rates by 78% and infant deaths by 88%. Hawwa 15, no. "Sexual Harassment in Egypt." [22] The case involved Samira Ibrahim who participated at a sit-in at Tahrir Square on March 9, 2011. Egyptian women who were married were highly acknowledged. Women owned businesses selling products such as cosmetics, perfume, or clothing. Reasons for inequalities are numerous; social norms and attitudes, economic pressures, religious beliefs, and structural forces all help maintain the status quo. [27] Shame, fear of being blamed, loss of face, or in some cases, fear of being a victim of "honor killing" prevents most women from seeking help. Through decades of support to Egypts National Family Planning Program, USAID contributed to dramatic improvements in womens health. [64] Furthermore, not all Egyptian marriages were arranged, rather, most daughters had persuaded their families for their approval towards their future spouses. As a result of enacting this law, teenage pregnancy rates also decreased. Women have traditionally been preoccupied with household tasks and child rearing and have rarely had opportunities for contact with men outside the family. The leading orthodox Islamic clergy endorsed these amendments, but Islamist groups opposed them as state infringements of religious precepts and campaigned for their repeal. Although I totally agree with the senseless brutality perspective of Mr. Armanious, he needs to understand that these "true Islamists" do not care what anyone else in the world thinks of them, and their methods and "policies". [13], A 2010 Pew Research Center poll showed that 45% of Egyptian men and 76% of women supported gender equality. This website uses cookies to provide you with better services. [51] The practice is deeply ingrained in the culture and predates both Christianity and Islam. Is Erdoan Hoping to Bring 84 Million Turks into Europe. Islamist and conservative groups have raised objections to the Khula Law. In 2021, USAID provided food assistance to 40,000 vulnerable pregnant and nursing women and children, and connected 500 mothers who are under the social safety net system with micro-loans and business training so they can support themselves and their families. [55] Women continued to lack adequate protection from sexual and gender-based violence, as well as gender discrimination in law and practice, particularly under personal status laws regulating divorce. [19], As of 2012, known HIV infection rates are virtually the same for both sexes at .1%, making it one of the lowest rates in Africa. It ranked 14, countries in womens economic participation and opportunity. . Maat was treated as an abstract goddess of great symbolic importance. Islamists keep repeating that Sharia laws have all the solutions to the world's problems. The law is somewhat flexible in that it allows for the couple to adhere to conditions of divorce set up in advance. Ancient Egypt's eight female pharaohs and a number of influential queens led the country as it achieved astonishing feats in a wide range of fields that include engineering, fashion and astronomy. These numbers have increased dramatically over recent years as Egypt has made greater financial investments in this sector. The .gov means its official. More recently, from 2018-2021, USAIDs support to Egypts National Family Planning Program resulted innearly 7 million women starting to use voluntary family planning methods. Prior to our trip, we spent hours reading books, guides, blogs and watching videos in preparation for Egypt. Ancient Laws and Women's Rights: The 6000-Year-Old - Ancient Origins Women had also taken part in religious activities, such as those who were priestesses. The study showed that 86.8 percent of Egyptian men and 76.7 percent of women believe that a woman's most basic role is to take care of the home and cook for the family, while 90.3 percent of men and 58.5 percent of women reported that the man should have the final decision in his home. Only, working-age women are participating in the economy, compared to. A few weeks ago, a 7-year-old girl, Ehssan, was kidnapped and raped while playing front of her family's house in Alexandria. Egypt is falsely glorified. Summary. Women weren't allowed into the military or serve as senior government officials. Despite high education attainment, unmarried women pursue jobs to save money for marriage and married women work to provide additional income for the family. Ancient Egypt's eight female pharaohs. [30] Attacks against women appear to have been carried out in a premeditated fashion by men emboldened with a sense of impunity.[31]. Biden Administration Funding Iran's Nuclear Bomb Tests, Threatening Israel for Trying to Prevent Them? In 1985 Egyptian authorities ruled that the amendments of 1979 were unconstitutional because they had been enacted through a presidential decree while the People's Assembly was not in session. Scholarship programs expand access to high-quality education for youth with high financial need, and intergenerational literacy programming in rural areas supports girls and their mothers to learn to read. Official age of consent for marriage is 16 for girls and 18 for boys, though child marriage of females still continues in certain areas without legal intervention. Several other female protestors received similar treatment (see 2011 virginity tests of protestors in Egypt). Gatestone Institute is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, Federal Tax ID #454724565. Women were guaranteed the right to vote and equality of opportunity was explicitly stated in the 1956 Egyptian constitution, forbidding gender-based discrimination. Dunham, D. 1917. Most Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment. There were a total of no less than 169 cases of such attacks against women during that week. [27], According to Global Gender Gap Index, Egypt ranked 134th out of the 153 countries in 2020. The constitution now states that women have equal right to give pass citizenship to their children. The study showed that in 2005, 33% of women reported having been subject to some form of physical violence by their current or previous husband. Labor laws were changed to ensure women's standing in the work force and maternity leave was legally protected. [19] In 2012, UNICEF reported that 87% of Egyptian women and girls 1549 years old had undergone female genital mutilation. [19] Younger women appear to be more likely to use contraception than older generations. Instead of protecting women from the violence of men, ideas promoted by the Nour Party, and by clerics at Al-Ahzar and the educational system they control, have given men license to behave like animals toward women. A study by the International Organization for Migration found that two-thirds of migrant household interviewed were headed by a woman in the absence of the male migrant (husband/father). In 2017, the UNDP's Gender Inequality Index (GII) rated Egypt 108th out of 162 countries, with an overall value of 0.449, where a score of zero represents perfect gender parity according to the metrics used. [15] Polls taken in 2010 and 2011 show that 39% considered gender equality "very important" to Egypt's future post-revolution and 54% of Egyptians supported sex segregation in the workplace. Egypt is now the worst country for women's rights in the Arab world, according to a poll of gender experts. In Egypt, legal adulthood starts at 18. [24], Despite low infection rates, international organizations like UNICEF are expressing some concern. Others accused her of being a whore. Such examples include the goddess of motherhood, Hathor, or the powerful Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. Married Egyptian women were expected by their husband's families to bear children, but particularly males. The 2013 Human Development Report states that 2.2% parliamentary positions are held by women.[7]. Additionally, they now have a more equal opportunity in life at a younger age. In December of 2011, during one of the youths' demonstration against the SCARF (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces), a young woman wearing the Islamic niqab was severely beaten by Egyptian soldiers. Despite the efforts of USAID, the Egyptian Government, and others, significant hurdles to womens equality remainparticularly in terms of gender gaps, violence against women, rapid rates of population growth, and high levels of poverty. Decades of sustained USAID support to education for girls has helped lift girls enrollment in primary school from just over 50 percent in 1978 to 100 percent by 2009. Women's Rights in Egypt - BORGEN In 2021, USAID supported the National Council for Women, the Ministry of Justice, and the national prosecutors office in drafting and adopting amendments to articles criminalizing sexual harassment in the National Penal Code, to classify all forms of sexual harassment as felonies rather than misdemeanors. [26], On 23 June 2020, Egyptian security forces detained prominent activist Sanaa Seif from outside the general prosecutor's office in the capital, Cairo, where she was waiting to file a complaint about being physically assaulted outside Cairo's Tora Prison complex on 22 June 2020. [8] In early 2014, equal rights and protections for women were included in the newest Egyptian constitution, reversing many of the restrictions imposed by the more conservative Mohamed Morsi regime. Haneen Hossam spent ten months in prison for violating "the Egyptian Family rules" by dancing on TikTok. [24] The contraception prevalence rate is high, at 60.3% (in 2008). A woman lost her automatic right to divorce her husband if he married a second wife. 1995. These roles are largely associated with traditional Islamic family structures, wherein women's roles are closely tied to the domestic sphere and men's roles tied to the public sphere (see: Women in Egypt).Gender roles are based on assumed biological differences between the sexes and can lead to dramatically different life . #1. Editorial: editor@gatestoneinstitute.org. [33], The 2009 UNFPA Violence Against Women Summary Finding confirmed that spousal violence is a significant problem in Egypt. Readers should know by now that today's "Egyptians" are not descended from ancient Egyptians. To deflect the outrage over his statement --many Australians demanded his resignation -- Sheik Al-Hilali fabricated a story about people breaking into and vandalizing his mosque. The study found sexual harassment, high rates of female genital mutilation and a growth . Only a few women are known to have important positions in administration, though there were female rulers . Egyptian Streets called the attention a #MeToo moment. [17] Life expectancy in Egypt is consistent with this biological reality. The women emphasized that Islam cannot co-exist with freedom and democracy, and they told Sawyer that she was oppressed because she was not covered-up. Since Anwar el-Sadat's era, there have been confrontations between multiple actors over who has the authority to . That goes for women with or without education because jobs can be attained at various levels, but the preference goes to their male counterparts. [12], Egypt has made significant progress in narrowing the primary and secondary education gap between boys and girls. Of the 100 members of the assembly, only 7 were women. FGM was banned in 2008, but enforcement of the law was weak. Kendall, Elisabeth. Although women are not guaranteed a minimum number of seats in parliament, laws forbidding discrimination based on gender was included. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute. The same study showed the majority of respondents, both male and female, believed that circumcision was necessary for girls (64%). Some women, when negotiating with their husbands for divorce, are willing to forfeit the financial assistance in exchange for him initiating the divorce. Two members of the committee did not vote in favor of this article; they were outside the country; and Salah Abdel-Maboud, a representative from the Salafists' ultraconservative Nour Party, refused to vote on this article. Simply put, that means they are treated as inferior citizens. [20], Adolescent fertility rates in Egypt were 44 per 1000 in 2012, significantly higher than most economically developed countries and likely a result of early marriage and lack of universal access to family planning services. Also, on October of that same year, an Egyptian member of the Parliament put forth the introduction of a bill that "criminalizes homosexuality" and a total of 60 members were ready to approve it as they signed it. If the niqab is intended to protect and honor women, then how does one explain the violence endured by a completely veiled Egyptian woman in 2011? Only 18% of the working-age women participated in the economy, compared to 65% of men. This is a fairly low ranking for a nation that is working to improve its gender equality. The practice appears to be more common in rural areas where 83.7% of females have experienced FGM. PDF Women in ancient Egypt: Gender Roles - Eastern Illinois University In the public sector women are more protected with labor rights that secure their position and provide benefits such as maternity leave. Women could own land, divorce their husbands and represent themselves in court. For the Ancient Egyptians, balance and equality were intrinsic to their belief system - as were feminine concepts such as fertility and rebirth. Each said she was sexually abused by the authorities", "Egypt's President Sisi ratifies law amendments to tighten sexual harassment punishment", "Egypt: Outcry as Shady Khalaf sentenced to just 3 years in prison for sexual assault and attempted rape", "Egypt: End prosecution of rights defender for speaking out against sexual violence", "Egypt's rise in honor killings sparks regional debate", "Forbidden Romance Results in Honor Killings for Coptic Women", "Egypt man who killed sister in 'honour killing' given meagre 5-year sentence", "Egyptian Man Who Killed Sister for 'Suspicious Behaviour' Sentenced to Five Years' Imprisonment | Egyptian Streets", "WHO - Prevalence of female genital cutting among Egyptian girls", "Amnesty International Annual Report 2016/17", "Egypt's Senate approves new anti-FGM bill", "Apps, arrests and abuse in Egypt, Lebanon and Iran", "Homosexuality in Sudan and Egypt: Stories of the Struggle for Survival", "Arrests and torture of gays, lesbians in Egypt are 'systematic,' rights report says", "Egypt: Security Forces Abuse, Torture LGBT People", "Egyptian woman 'wins equal inheritance fight', "INFOGRAPHIC: Egypt's constituent assembly", "Women's representation in new parliament highest in Egypt's history", Johnson, Janet H. 2002. Preserved parliamentary seats for women and the 1979 personal status law were repealed in 1987, a new watered-down law taking its place that allowed less power for women in cases of divorce. FGM was banned in Egypt in 2007. [36] The deputy Middle East director at HRW said that the attacks were "holding women back from participating fully in the public life of Egypt at a critical point in the country's development. The amendments also entitled the first wife to compensation. Ward, William. The inequality Egyptian women faced during those times are no different from the inequality issues they face today. [16], Given normal circumstances, women on average outlive men. published on 26 November 2018. [13], New generations of Egyptians have placed a higher value on female education than in the past. It was common for married couples to continue to reproduce until bearing at least two sons. Egyptian Women: What Makes Them Perfect for Marriage? - WomenExpert The movie also highlights the weapons available to women to fight their attackers and the techniques used by men to deny any charges. This is achieved by engaging young women and girls in cross-community dialogues, by building the capacity of community champions, and by creating safe spaces for young girls. Barriers to Employment That Women Face in Egypt - RAND Corporation Such attitudes toward women and prevalence of sexual violence and harassment against them, contribute substantially to Egypt being named the worst Arab state for women by an extensive Thomas Reuters Foundation study. Barrenness was considered a severe misfortune for Egyptian women, as well as the inability to produce male offspring. Heroes in Egypt Confront Islamist Ideology. USAID also works with private sector partners, such as private pharmacists and apparel manufacturers, to provide training on family planning services and peer mentoring for factory workers. Egyptian Society of Womens Health (ESWH), How the NPRGS in Nigeria helps alleviate poverty, Paper Orphans: Preventing Illegal Intercountry Adoptions. Women in Egypt; General Statistics; Maternal mortality (per 100,000) 66 (2010) Women in parliament: 14.9% (2015) Women over 25 with secondary education: . A 2011 Population Fund survey found that 75% of married women aged 1529 have used contraception. The Statues of Women in Egyptian Society. In Egypt, the U, Despite the efforts of USAID, the Egyptian Government, and others, significant hurdles to women, equality remainparticularly in terms of gender gaps, violence against women, rapid rates of population growth, and high levels of poverty. The Irony about all of this is that almost 65% of the population of Egypt is women. With the rise of LGBTQ rallies and protests in Egypt, a light is also being shed on the rise of sexual violence against the community. These reforms included the following specifics regarding legitimate grounds for a woman requesting a divorce: In 1971 further reforms were made. 1995. Women in Egypt - Wikipedia Women's Legal Rights in Ancient Egypt, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Women_in_Egypt&oldid=1155546571, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, If her husband failed to provide maintenance. Women in ancient Egypt were regarded as the equals of men in every aspect save that of occupation. However, at least 80% of all men in all income brackets are employed or looking for work. More severe and far less common forms involve complete removal of the genitals and sewing up of the vagina until only a very small hole remains for urine and menstrual blood vacate. At the same time, the state repressed independent feminist organizations, leaving a dearth of female political representation. This page was last edited on 18 May 2023, at 16:51. The women revealed that they were sexually abused in police stations, hospitals and prisons during routine searches by the police or prison guards and by state-employed doctors during invasive physical exams and virginity tests. In Ancient Egyptian society this was okay. [31][32][33] In 2013, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women reported that 99.3% of Egyptian women had experienced some form of harassment. For example, they were entitled to have money and their own private property - which might include land, livestock, and slaves. "[56] In 2015, a Harvard paper written on the topic of LGBTQ members in Egypt suggests that the reasonings behind the country's resentment towards the community is that the country is "largely conservative" and that the hatred is "rooted in societal gender and sexual norms. Egyptians believed in ma'at, which is harmony and . The further Nubian Queens were able to maintain this status. "[13], Unemployment rates are high for all young Egyptians, though it is particularly high for females. That the age for legal marriage should be raised to 18 for women and 21 for men, That the permission of a judge was required for polygamy, That divorces could not take place without a judge being present, That the mother should be allowed a greater period of. Those days are long gone. Improving Womens Health: Building on decades of investments in voluntary family planning and maternal health, USAID supports Egypts National Family Planning Program to improve the quality of voluntary family planning services and strengthen decision-making and policy formation at the national level. Seven out of ten divorces took place within the first five years of marriage, and one out of three in the first year. Only 20% of Egypts working-age women are participating in the economy, compared to 75% of men. Sexual acts were not often represented in formal Egyptian art, although embraces were quite frequently shown.
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