This article originally published in the New York Daily News on December 2, 2012.Friday, Egypt’s constitutional assembly approved a new draft...
This article originally published in the New York Daily News on December 2, 2012.
Friday, Egypt’s constitutional assembly approved a new draft constitution after a marathon all-night session. President Mohammed Morsi has promised that the constitution will be put up for a referendum “soon” — likely within the next two weeks. What is perhaps most significant and disappointing is the fact that this has done serious damage to the interests of Egyptian women — and, by extension, women throughout the Arab world. The 85-member assembly — down from 100, thanks to the resignations of those who opposed Islamist domination of the council — contained just four women, all of whom were Islamists themselves. It’s no surprise, then, that the proposed constitution fails to enshrine equal rights for women. Many Egyptian women are appalled by these developments and are demanding the same rights and privileges afforded their fathers, husbands and sons. But the Islamist-dominated constituent assembly — not to mention Morsi and his male-dominated cabinet — have not appeared interested in listening. Read the full article here.
This post was written by Charity Wallace, Director of the Women’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute.
