The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights ECWR operations room is still observing the second stage of the referendum from gender perspective by receiving several complaints and following up on a team of volunteer observers. These complaints had sever violations such as the appearance of the rotating child, continuous mobilization of the women in an attempt (from the Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood) to raise the percentage of (agreeing) votes, and instructing women wither from the female members of Freedom and Justice or Salafists which led to many disputes in front of the polling stations.
And these are some of the violations that were observed:
Female Voter Mobilization:
- Mobilizing women in tok toks in front of Bashteel Primary school in Imbaba-Giza
- Mobilizing women in front of Abnaa’ El Thawra school in Bani Mazar-Minya governorate carrying the plate number 30782 taxi-Minya
- Mobilizing female voters in front of El Gamaliya Primary school in Quos-Qrena via a taxi that carries plat number 5362
Instructing the Voters:
- A monqaba woman, in front of Um El Mo’amneen secondary school for girls in Giza, was instructing the voters to accept the constitution
- Freedom and Justice members were standing at the entrance of Zaghloul street that leads to El Hilmiya Preparatory school in Zaghloul street (Nazlet El Simaan)-Giza governorate where they offered to help the voters by mobile phones and instructed them to say yes
- Bearded persons were instructing the female voters to say yes (on the constitution) in front of the Tarbiya Fikriya school in Wafaa and Amal street- Giza governorate
- Members of the Freedom and Justice party, had the voter lists, and were instructing the voters to say yes in polling station number 4 in Khaled Ibn El Waleed school-Imbaba
- In polling station number 27 at Safiya Zaghloul School-Giza governorate, the judge (in charge) left the ballots with the poll worker to distribute them on the female voters where he was instructing them to say yes for the constitution. And when ECWR’s observer opposed, the judge said that she is busy and he is assisting her
- Salafists were present in front of Safiya Zaghloul school-Giza governorate with laptops to help the voters find their polling stations and after that they write these voting details on a cared that is printed on a paper that is similar to the ballot saying yes for the constitution
- Instructing the voters, to say yes for the constitution, in front of El Salam primary school in Naqadda-Qena governorate through a number of monqaba women
- Members from the Freedom and Justice and Al Nour party had laptops in front of El Gamaliya primary school in Quos-Qena governoate to assist the voters find their polling stations; however, they were instructing them to vote as agreeing on the constitution
- Polling stations number 49 and 50 at Shubra Shihab school-Qualiobiya governorate witnessed voters’ instruction to agree on the constitution
Group Voting:
- El Agameyeen primary school (polling station number 4) in Abshway-El Fayoum governorate witnessed group voting
- The agricultural school (polling station number 34) in Shawkat-Damanhour governorate witnessed group voting
Logistical Mistakes:
- El Gamayia El Tawaniya polling station in El Haram street-Giza governorate witnessed discrimination between against women in the mixed poll. The organizers of the queue allowed only bearded men to enter and vote and women were left, so a lot of women were kept outside the poll which led to so many disputes between women and the organizers of the queue who denied their access to the poll.
- Polling station number 21 in El Hilmiya preparatory school-Zaghloul street-Nazlit El Simaan-Giza governorate suffered from over crowdedness among the female voters because of having 5 polling stations at one place which means that all the female voters of Nazlet El Siman were voting there. The slow process of voting there is due to the fact that the voting in this area is expected to reject the constitution
- Inside polling station number 35 at Taha Hussein primary school in Bani Attiya district-Nebi Suif governorate, one of the voters was caught writing on the metal wall “Yes, the left circle”, whereas the left circle is the disagreeing circle. When someone informed the judge about this, the judge covered it with white papers.
- El Tarbiya El Fikriya school (polling station number 17)-Giza governorate witnessed disputes between poll workers and the judge because he mistreated them, so one of the poll workers withdrew and the judge replaced him with a monqaba woman
- Polling station number 31 in Shagaret El Dor primary school-Giza governorate closed for half an hour for a breakfast break, so female voters’number increased in front of the polling station
- In polling station number 23 at Mansheyet Badawy school in Banha-Qualiobiya governorate, the ballots were not stamped
- Polling station number 31 in El Moatamadiya primary school banned the civil society observers whereas it allowed the Freedom and Justice and Salafists observers
- In polling stations number 73 and 74 at Biltan Preparatory school in Tookh-Qualiobiya governorate, members of Freedom and Justice were present inside the polls and in the yard of the school claiming that they are observers
The Rotating Child:
- The rotating child appeared in Taha Hussein primary school-Bani Attiya district-Beni Suif governorate inside polling station number 35 in order to make sure that the female voters said no and in return they get 50 pounds
Disputes among the Female Voters:
- Disputes in front of the door of El Safaa preparatory school in Tookh-Qualiobiya governorate between the proponents and opponents of the constitution
- Disputes in front of El Helmiya preparatory school at Zaghloul street-Nazlit El Simaan-Giza governorate between the opponents and proponents of the constitution and a monqaba woman accused some of the veiled women that (they do not know God) because they rejected the constitution
- Disputes between the proponents and opponents of the constitution in Shubra school Shehab- Qualiobiya governorate
- El Shiekh Zayed secondary school-6th of October city in El Giza governorate opened at 8:30
- The polling stations of El Nasr Primary school in Kerdasa-Giza governorate opened at 9:00 AM due to the late arrival of the judges and consequently the female voters suffered from over crowdedness in front of the school
- El Nour Islamic school in Ard El Liwaa-Giza governorate opened at 9:20 AM because the judge was not present
