Egyptian women and the 25th of January Revolution: presence and absence

Abstract

This paper analyses the challenges confronting Egyptian women during the transition government of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). It provides the background for the legal system under Mubarak and offers a comparative look at the legislation that was being discussed or has been implemented during the political transition after the 25th of January Revolution. A backlash against women and their agenda prompted conservative calls for amendments of legislations that were passed during the Mubarak era. This paper underscores the importance of women's involvement in transitional processes for a successful democracy in Egypt. It underlines the shortcomings in the design of electoral laws in relation to including women and other groups such as the Copts and young people. It describes the way by which the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) – the MB's party – first ignored then reconfigured the mission and mandate of the National Council for Women during the transitional period. It provides a detailed account of the Mubarak-era laws, comparing them to those proposed by various political forces and opposed by the FJP government. The paper also compares Egyptian laws both before and after the revolution with the international human rights conventions to which Egypt is party, pointing at inconsistencies and outright violations, including the treatment of gender-based violence (GBV), the debate around female genital mutilation (FGM) laws, and issues of gender and Shariʿa in the draft Constitution.