Cairo, October 31, 2024
A new regulation issued by the Egyptian Immigration and Nationality Directorate requires Egyptian women with a middle school education or less, whose IDs indicate “unemployed” or “housewife,” to obtain prior approval from the Directorate to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from October 27, 2024, for work or visitation purposes. These women have been labeled as belonging to the “lower categories.”
The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) affirms that these decisions represent discrimination against women and violate Articles 8, 11, and 53 of the Constitution. They also constitute a blatant infringement on the fundamental human rights to travel and movement and directly conflict with the Egyptian Constitution, which guarantees equality among all citizens.
Furthermore, the use of the term “lower categories” is an insult to women and constitutes discrimination based on class, education, and employment. Such restrictions impose unwarranted guardianship over women who are uneducated or have not received higher education. These constraints undermine the state’s efforts to empower women and enhance their status.
Nehad Abuelkomsan, Chairperson of ECWR, emphasizes that these decisions constitute a clear violation of the rights of Egyptian women and undermine their dignity by unjustly restricting their freedom of movement and travel. These measures contradict the principles of equality and justice enshrined in the Constitution.
Therefore, ECWR calls on the Egyptian government to:
- Revoke the decision and ensure the abolition of any discriminatory decisions against women.
- Provide legal guarantees that protect the rights of Egyptian women to movement and travel.
