ASMAA FATHI

Cairo- Women continue to suffer from the patriarchal mentality no matter where they live. All over the world, from the West to the East, from the North to the South, women are murdered, subjected to violence, abused and raped. Despite that, women keep struggling against the patriarchal mentality. Although women pay a heavy price in some countries, women are determined to fight misogynous policies and to protect each other.

 ctivities of women’s organizations in Egypt

Egyptian women keep fighting for their rights despite many social obstacles. While the rate of gender-based violence increased in Egypt in 2022, women’s organizations made great efforts to reduce violence against women cases. After the increase in gender-based violence in Egypt, women's organizations waged a great struggle against it last year. Providing psychological, legal and financial support to survivors of violence, the women’s organizations have begun to reap the fruits of their activities in 2022.

They support women in all spheres of life

Egyptian Women's Legal Foundation, Association of the Egyptian Female Lawyers (AEFL) and New Woman Foundation ( NWF) are some of the women’s organizations providing psychological, legal and financial support to survivors of violence. In 2022, the Cairo Foundation for Development and Law (CFDL) launched the application 'Safe Care' which directs women to safe places to receive medical service.

Women overcome barriers

Speaking about the activities of the Egyptian women’s organizations, Abeer Hamdy, lawyer and women’s rights activist, said, “The women’s organizations, which make great efforts to end violence against women, try to find a solution to this recent wave of violence. They have removed the barriers faced by Egyptian women and they have made great efforts for amendment of Egyptian Personal Status Law regulating issues of marriage, divorce, child custody, guardianship, inheritance and other family-related matters.”

 fforts for amendment of the personal status law

“The Personal Status Law has not been amended since 1920,” Abeer Hamdy said, “Thanks to the efforts of women’s organizations, the personal status law is expected to be amended this year. The draft of the amendment will be presented soon. A number of conferences and meetings will be held in order to discuss the draft.”

 FGM and child marriage

Pointing to the FGM and child marriage, Abeer Hamdy said, “FGM and child marriage are two of issues that NGOs have been focusing on to end. FGM is an ancient custom in Egypt. Thanks to efforts, the rate of FGM has decreased but more efforts must be made to end it. Everyone in the country knows that female genital mutilation is a crime punishable by imprisonment and fine. In 2022, women’s organizations launched awareness raising campaign to end FGM and child marriage.”

 “Women’s organizations took actions against FGM’

Noting that women’s organizations took actions against FGM last year because there was an increase in the rate of female genital mutilation, Abeer Hamdy said, “Women’s organizations and activists joined hands to fight FGM and gender-based violence. Violence is a global phenomenon that most countries suffer from. In 2022, the rate of gender-based violence in Egypt increased.” Abeer Hamdy believes that women’s organizations “did not fulfill their role in fighting gender-based violence but they have joined hands to fight it.”