ASMAA FATHI

Cairo- Women are treated in society as if they are deficient and do not have the ability to make decisions about their lives. The decisions made by men, whether a father or a husband, have become a nightmare that haunts every woman who tries to make decisions for her life or take an action about herself or her children. The online campaign launched under the hashtag “The Custody is My Right” by the Women and Memory Forum continues to receive support from mothers, who demand their right to custody.  

Women are punished with their children

We spoke to lawyer and human rights activist Iman Moussa about ongoing child custody discussions in Egypt. She underlined that many fathers do not know anything about their children so mothers must be considered to be the appropriate custodians of children when spouses separate for the interests of the children.  Stating that Egyptian women have to take care of their children even if they work but men do not take care of their children, Iman Moussa said, “But they demand to get custody of children when they separate to punish women. While punishing women, they also punish their children.”

Joint custody can be a solution

Poet and writer Amal Al-Ruby stated that this issue should be discussed from the right perspective, “It is necessary to distinguish the fathers who blackmail their wives with their children and those who concern for the welfare of their children. Joint custody can be a solution for recent discussion about child custody.”

“Society punishes women with their children”

Aya Moneer, the founder of the Superwoman initiative, said that the law and society punish women with their children and pressure women to spend their lives with their children. Stating that the Egyptian society tries to deprive women of their economic rights, she emphasized that women are subjected to social pressure to obey the patriarchal mentality and men. Aya Moneer believes that all privileges regarding children are given to fathers. “They have the right to not send their children to school claiming that their mothers are unable to pay the school expenses. Women are deprived of making a decision about this issue.”