Exploiting women through mobilization and vote-buying

Cairo 22 November 2015
Exploiting women through mobilization and vote-buying
Money rules in the 2nd half of 1st day of Egypt’s Parliamentary elections 2nd stage
After the first day of the second stage of Egypt’s Parliamentary elections 2015, ECWR observed that women were very exploited through buying their votes with money from 50 to 200 Egyptian Pounds, based upon the place. Moreover, women were influenced to vote for certain candidates, as well as administrative errors as wrong polling stations and numbers for female voters which hindered the voting process.
In the framework of the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) Operation room, ECWR field observers monitored the following:
Vote-buying
– In Cairo governorate,
i. Dar El Salam Constituency, Abdel Nasser Secondary School and Dar El Salam Preparatory School for girls, there was vote buying for a certain candidate for 200 Egyptian pounds.
ii. In Sayeda Zeinab Constituency, El Saniya Secondary School for girls and El Baheya El Borhaniya, there is vote buying for women for 50 EGP while in front of Qala’t Kabish school in the same constituency, there is vote buying for 100 EGP.
iii. In Bulac Abu El’Ila, one of the female candidates’ representatives was hit by the supporters of another candidate when he attempted to take a picture of them bribing voters.
iv. In Basateen Constituency, Othman Ibn Affan School and El Basateen Mixed School, there was vote buying for 50 EGP.
Influencing voters
– In Cairo governorate, Waily Constituency, Sakakini School, one of the female candidates affirmed that there was an attempt to urge voting for a certain candidate but the police officer curbed such attempts.
Continuation of Electoral Campaigning
– In Qalioubiya governorate, Shubra El Kheima Tani Constituency, Bahaitem Secondary School for girls, one of the female candidates affirmed that continuation of electoral campaigning for a certain candidate.
– In Gharbiya governorate, Bander Constituency, electoral campaigning for a certain candidate continued.
Administrative errors
– In Qalioubiya governorate, Shubra El Kheima Thani Constituency, a number of female voters headed to the polling station to discover they were given incorrect information taken from the High Elections Committee (HEC) website which led those women to not vote.
– This also was repeated in Cairo governorate’s El Basateen constituency in which one of the female candidates asserted that a lot of female voters came to El Shaimaa Secondary School for girls to vote as informed from the HEC website, yet it turned out to be the incorrect polling station.
– Also in El Basateen Constituency, Ameen El Raei Secondary School, the judge refused that the all Candidates’ representatives will be in the station at once. The judge informed them that only one at a time using the excuse in order for the station not to be crowded.
– In Qalioubiya governorate,Qaha School, polling station number 168, an employee gave wrong instruction for the female voters on the number of candidates and lists to vote for.
– In Suez governorate, Suez constituency, Experiential Rasmiya Language School, polling station number 154, one of the female candidates confirmed that she found the boxes of the subcommittees open so she filed a complaint.

To contact ECWR operation room you can through:
01099971723
01008803362
25282176

Or check ECWR’s Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/ECWRonline?fref=ts