ASMAA FATHÎ

Cairo- Nubian women in Egypt face double discrimination because of their ethnicity, color and language. Wafaa Ashry, a Nubian feminist activist, said that Nubians were forced to leave their homes in the 1960s when the Aswan High Dam was built on the Nile. After being forcibly displaced, some Nubians moved to Sudan while some to Southern Egypt. “Before the construction of the dam, our life was different. Most families did not need humanitarian aid and support. Since everyone was in solidarity with each other, they did not have a hunger problem. Now everything changes. There are many Nubians, who need humanitarian aid and support. Nubian families need support,” Wafaa Ashry told us.

They face discrimination

Emphasizing that Nubian women face gender-based discrimination, Wafaa Ashry said, “Nubian society was a matriarchal society. Women were valuable and they wore traditional clothes. They were responsible for their lives and families. But our traditional clothes have also been affected by religious clothes such as headscarves. The status of women has also been affected by the general situation, Nubian women are subjected to pressure now. Nubian children face discrimination in schools due to their language because they cannot speak very good Arabic. Most Nubian children dropped off because they could not speak Arabic. Some are determined to go to school but they do not like school because they are subjected to bullying when they speak Arabic.”

“They are employed in low paid work”

 Indicating that Nubian women have less job opportunities than Egyptian women, Wafaa Ashry said, “Nubian women earn less than Egyptian women. Nubian women are employed in low paid work. They face mistreatment everywhere. They suffer from the lack of opportunities to participate in politics.”

Threats against women and their families

Wafaa Ashry told us the story of one of her friends. “She had an important role in the transitional justice progress. However, she was subjected to severe criticism by the Nubian community because she was a woman. She and her family were threatened. For this reason, she left her job. Another colleague of mine decided to run for the elections for one of the administrative councils of the Nubians. She was also slandered and threatened and her family was threatened. For this reason, she withdrew her candidacy.”

She resigned due to discrimination

Speaking about the discrimination faced by her, Wafaa Ashry said, “Men have many educational opportunities. Although I was a successful student, I could not go to school because most families do not send their daughters to school. I tried to build a special space for myself in Aswan. I worked hard and became the only accountant in a company that has about 26 branches in Egypt. Despite that, I faced discrimination at work. Men earned more than I earned. The managers thought women cannot work in decision-making positions and forced me to resign. Nubian women face discrimination both by Nubians and Egyptians.”