Rights group coalition calls for women’s representation in new constitution

Hend Kortam
2 Min Read
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency shows Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour (C) heading a meeting with Egypt's newly sworn in interim cabinet on July 16, 2013 in Cairo. (AFP PHOTO/HO/EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY)
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency shows Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour (C) heading a meeting with Egypt's newly sworn in interim cabinet on July 16, 2013 in Cairo.  (AFP PHOTO/HO/EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY)
A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency shows Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour (C) heading a meeting with Egypt’s newly sworn in interim cabinet on July 16, 2013 in Cairo.
(AFP PHOTO/HO/EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY)

The Coalition of Egyptian Feminist Organisations called on the government to make use of the experiences of women without marginalisation in a joint statement released on Tuesday.

The coalition, which includes Al-Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, the Cairo Centre for Development and Nazra Centre for Feminist Studies called on interim president Adly Mansour to ensure that the committee that will draft the new constitution has a fair representation of women.

“That should include feminists and female activists with years of experience in the field of women’s and human rights,” the statement read.  It added that these women’s demands were ignored during the drafting of the 2012 Constitution.

“There is no guarantee of the integration of women’s demands without active representation of women in the committee that will draft the constitution,” the coalition said.

The statement also called on the interim government to use the experiences and competencies of women in different fields “without any marginalisation or discrimination.”

“State institutions are full of distinguished women who combine both political and professional experience which qualify them for taking up leading positions in executive state institutions, unless they are affiliated with the ruling parties of former presidents Mohamed Morsi and Hosni Mubarak,” the coalition said.

They also called on political parties to adopt positions that support female representation in political life by setting a quota for women during parliamentary elections, adding that this would give them a better chance for representation in parliament.

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