ECWR Refuses the New Ministerial Reshuffle and Condemns It As A Continuous Violation to Women Rights.

(Cairo, 8 May 2013) The new Egyptian cabinet reshuffle came as another proof of the continuous strategy of the new regime that aims at, not only, excluding and eliminating women from holding any ministerial position, but supporting and justifying any violations done against women. Among the new 34 appointed ministers, only two women remain in the cabinet who were already appointed since the SCAF was in power. The fact that the presidency did not appoint any new women nor increased the number of female participants in the new cabinet raises many questions to the stance of President Morsi regarding women.
Moreover, the targeting of women was clear when one of the judges of the Constitutional Court was appointed as a minister even though he was disqualified by the constitutional amendments. This assures that these amendments were specifically made to eliminate Chancellor Tahany Al-Gebaly, the first Egyptian female judge in the Constitutional Court.
Yet, three ministers still remain in their positions even though many charges have been pressed against them accusing them of violations against women, one of whom is the Minister of Media who has been accused of three harassment cases against female journalists that led to having more women and feminists filing harassment cases that have not been investigated yet.
Excluding women continues as the Minister of Education decided to make changes to the school curriculums by removing any pictures of leading women from History books who was not wearing the veil as well as removing a whole chapter that discussed the effective role of women in the history of Egyptian civil movements.
In addition, the Minister of Manpower has intentionally ignored issuing any statements regarding women who travel to work as maids in Gulf countries and have no legal cover. As well as not taking any action regarding the cases of Egyptian maids who have been exposed to drastic violations in some of those countries.
Thus, the Center refuses any exclusion or violation done to women by the President and his government. It refuses the new reshuffle subjectively and objectively. The Egyptian Center for Women Rights condemns the intentional exclusion of women from all aspects of political and social life that has been evident in President Morsi’s policy since he came to power.
Needless to say, the Egyptian community has many women who are efficient in all fields and they deserve to get their chance to serve their country, thus, the Egyptian Center calls for applying the women quota to all governmental and ministerial positions to ensure the effective participation of women once again.