Women’s rights activists demand more political participation

Scores of activists have condemned the systematic marginalisation of women in politics, particularly during last month’s parliamentary elections. At a conference on 25 January organised by the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights (ECWR), they demanded that the government enact reforms to allow for the emergence of a more representative, participatory political climate. “Women’s dismal showing in the elections not only shows up the weakness they suffer in politics,” ECWR Director Nehad Abu al-Qumsan observed. “It also mirrors their weakness in Egyptian society as a whole, and, in turn, that of the voiceless majority.” In the elections, held in three phases from 9 November to 7 December, over 5,000 candidates ran for 444 parliamentary seats. Only 127 of the candidates were women, of whom 114 ran as independents. Ultimately, six women won seats in the assembly, while another five were later appointed by President Hosni Mubarak. Present at the conference were local women’s rights activists, political analysts and representatives of international organisations and think-tanks. Participants discussed the need for parties across the political spectrum to integrate women’s issues more fully into their agendas. “It’s not sufficient to talk about women’s rights if agendas continue to be set by men,” said Heba Raouf, a political science professor at Cairo University. “Women need to participate more actively in drafting policy at all levels of a given party or movement.” ECWR officials went on to issue a series of demands, including a legal amendment guaranteeing a 30-percent quota of parliamentary seats for women and reform of political parties aimed at allowing more participation by women. According to a recent ECWR report, all of the country’s major parties failed to honour pledges to support women’s candidacies. The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) had promised to field 26 female candidates out of 444. In the end, however, only six NDP candidates were women. The banned Muslim Brotherhood, meanwhile, fielded only one female nominee. Many conference participants complained that, unless the right of women to participate was institutionalised, Egypt’s male-dominated culture would ensure the continued monopoly of the political process by men. “There was a poster at a polling station in a constituency where a woman was running that read: ‘Have we run out of men?’” Abu al-Qumsan recounted. Mona Shawki, who ran for parliament but lost, said she had been subject to threats and intimidation from thugs hired by rival candidates. “It’s enough of a victory for me that I made my presence known in the political spectrum,” she said sanguinely. “I will run again,” she added.