Egyptian Women Are Losing the Revolution
30 Oct 2011, 20:52
Women in Egypt: Losing Out?
However, when I was working last week with the Alliance for Arab Women, they talked of the unfinished revolution: in the hope that it will continue and space will be found for them too. While Asmaa Mafouz might have been awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament for her role in the uprising, the place of Egyptian women in public life is being marginalised
Nobody can underestimate the achievement of the men and women of Tahir Square who ended Hosni Mubarak’s tyranny after 30 years with courageous peaceful protests. They - and the country - united around one aim: the removal of Mubarak. That demand met, they left a power vacuum immediately filled by the army.
On the streets, the word went out that feminism was a western construct favoured by Mubarak and practised by his wife Suzanne. Clever. A demonstration on International Women’s Day in Tahrir Square was broken up by men abusing and spitting at the women.. The Muslim Brotherhood, who had been outlawed under Mubarak, says that Egypt needs to hear less of women’s voices.
The forthcoming elections beginning on 29 November have a closed list system, which means that every political party in contention lists their candidates in order and the more votes they get, the greater the number of people from their lists. The parties have put the women low down, so only the very successful ones will have any women parliamentarians. They appear untied in determining that we shall hear less of women’s voices.
Meanwhile there are no women on the committee which will draw up the country’s constitution.
The most visible sign of the oppression of women is their dress. While there are few veils on the street, going bareheaded is a statement, the default mode is a scarf covering all the hair and neck and even they wear trousers. While the people of Egypt, and much of the world, are still inspired by the achievements of Tahrir Square, there is a lot left to do. Having rid themselves of the tyranny of Mubarak, women now face subjugation by religion and the men of Egypt.
We should not romanticise the outcome of Tahrir Square but recognise its limitations.
The author
Scarlett MccGwire
Scarlett MccGwire is a media trainer and communications consultant.
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the important thing is that in the elections women don't vote for the Muslim brotherhood and parties that will oppress women if they do then they are making their own fate and will be responsible for their own oppression.
09/11/2011 00:09