Publications Reports

Out of the Powder Keg (full report)

Section five: recommendations of the report (looking into the future)

The new constitution present quantum leap that require numerous efforts to convert texts into reality for Egyptian women so the state will benefit from the capabilities of half of its population, by working on several levels:

Political level

  • Emphasizing on the electoral system that ensures the representation of women with not less than 35% of the lists or individuals in all elected assemblies to ensure the representation of women.
  • Empowering women in political parties not only in committees or secretariat position, and parties should take actions to nominate women, each party must present at least 35% of its membership as women candidates for elected councils.
  • Support for young female leaders who want to participate in the elections and training.

Economic level

  • Studying and evaluating the contribution of women in the economy and labor market, evaluating the contribution of housewives in the economy, and providing health and social insurance for them.
  • The need to emphasize and take the necessary measures to ensure women take all positions as application for the principles of citizenship and equality on the basis of competence and professionalism.
  • Eliminating discrimination against women in labor market and while providing job opportunities and training based on equality.
  • Paying attention to women who are heads of households, and giving them the chance to establish small projects, taking into account, equality in tax breaks between men and women.
  • Providing social services to help working women, such as nurseries.

Level of education

  • purifying education curricula of discrimination against women in order to ensure improving women’s image in the community.
  • The presence of women in decision-making positions at the level of curriculum development at the Ministry of Education.
  • Giving attention to literacy classes for Egyptian women and putting fines on the drop-outs.
  • The need to include social education curricula and emphasizing on good models for women.
  • Necessity to teach the curricula of human rights and gender sensitivity in higher education.

Legal level:

  • Purifying laws of all forms of violence and discrimination against women.
  • Amending the law of family with the principles of justice and equality in Islamic Sharia.
  • Giving attention to activating laws and applying them on all individuals and groups based of the concept of equality in front of the law in a democratic society to end the idea of favoritism and mediation.
  • Tougher sanctions on violent crime in all its forms, especially rape, sexual harassment and domestic violence.
  • Reforming the Family Court.

Media level

  • Developing strategy for women’s issues to change discriminatory and inferiority perception of women in the media and the community, to improve the image of women in the media and drama.
  • Distancing from the stereotype of women and drawing attention to the real image of women and their presence as experts and politicians or jurists, to confirm the mental image of women to the viewer as participation and present in the society.
  • Activating the role of the media to publish women’s issues and to highlight their role in the revolution, in Algeria, France and their role in building Germany after its defeat in the war.
  • The need for cooperation with the media, and providing them with information, in the sense of partnership not control.
  • Formation of a partnership between civil society organizations and the media.

Religious level:

  • Emphasizing the role of the modern religious discourse that addresses transactions, ethics and social relations which establishes the values and principles of human rights and respect for difference.
  • Publishing and strengthening positive values and ethics of religion based on respect for the other in the community.
  • Repairing the religious discourse concerning women.
  • Egyptian women living abroad level
  • Activating the role of embassies and consulates to protect Egyptians abroad, especially women.
  • Rehabilitation of women workers before traveling and making sure they have contracts and in safe working conditions.