The first phase of the parliamentary elections takes place on the 24th and the 25th of October. This includes the following Governorates: Giza, Fayoum, Beni Sueif, Minya, Assyut, New Valley, Sohag, Qina, Luxor, Aswan, The Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira, and Matrouh.
ECWR has monitored the electoral campaigns, taking into perspective the number of female candidates in these elections. Competing for individual seats are 347 female candidates, including 303 as independent candidates, and 44 belong to political parties, out of a total of 4,006 male and female candidates, making up 8.6%.
Nominated for election on the party lists are 280 female candidates of a total of 568 candidates, thus making up 49.5% of the electoral lists. This makes the overall total number of females 627 candidates. Compared to the 2015 elections, the 2020 elections witness an increase of female candidates, whether as individual candidates or on party lists.
It is important to understand how the elections will take place. A total of 568 seats will be elected in a form of parallel voting; 284 of them will be elected using an individual based two-round system in 143 constituencies, and the other 284 will be elected using party lists in 4 constituencies. Moreover, presidential appointees will be making up 5% of seats; 28 candidates, therefore making the total number of parliamentarians 596 members.
19 political parties have backed female candidates for individual seats, out of a total of 36 parties who have backed individual candidates in general. They are broken down in the table below.
Meanwhile, there are 18 parties who did not back any female candidates at all. These include; Sons of Egypt, Free Egyptians Party, Egypt Party, AlSarh, Socialist Popular Alliance Party, Reform and Renaissance Party, AlNour Party, My Homeland Egypt, Generation’s Will, Arab Party for Justice and Equality, Free Socialists, Union Party, Leadership Party, Modern Egypt Party, Reform and Development, Liberal Constitutional Party, and Human Rights and Citizenship Party.
Through the reported numbers, the data in the graph below was compiled, and ECWR was able to pinpoint 3 Governorates where women did not contend in the elections. These are North Sinai, South Sinai, and the New Valley. However, the 4 Governorates that did see the highest numbers women candidates are Port Said with 18%, Alexandria 14.6%, Aswan 13.3%, and Cairo 13.1%. The least number of female candidates were seen in Beni Suef at 2.1%, and Sohag at 2%.
