Why are Egyptian women living their 'golden era' today, according to the government?

CAIRO – 22 March 2021: Egyptian women are living their “golden era” during the term of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, said President of the National Council for Women Maya Morsy on Sunday.

Sunday, March 21, coincided with Mother’s Day in Egypt. Sisi and several ministers attended a ceremony marking the event, where Morsy quoted the president as saying he “would not sign any law that is unfair to women.”

Morsy, Minister of Solidarity Nevine al-Kabbage, and Minister of Planning Hala el-Said listed many reasons why they believe today is women’s “golden era” in Egypt. Of these are:

1 – Some 78% of 12 million people have benefitted from Takaful Program at a cost of L.E.17 billion are women.

2 – Soft loans jumped from L.E.420 million of which 22,000 women benefitted in 2018 to L.E.1.4 billion of which 220,000 women benefit in 2021>

3 – The Ministry of Solidarity is helping pay the debts of 50% of women in jail.

4 - More than 200 women are in Parliament, taking Egypt to the 66th rank worldwide on that level after it was the 135th.

5 - For the first time in Egypt’s history, women are now allowed into the State Council and the PPublic Prosecution.

6 - Women make up 43% of doctors and 92% of nurses who work for the government.

7 - 50.7% of staffers in the administrative bodies of the state are women.

8 - There’s a 100% equality in the pensions of men and women.

9 - FGM has been criminalized and its punishment toughened on Sunday to be 5-15 years in prison depending on the extent of the injury and whether the perpetrator is a medical practitioner. 

10 - Sisi called on Monday for a new, independent law to categorically ban early marriage. The law prevents marriage before 18 years of age, but some people circumvent the law by an Urfi marriage that they turn into a legal marriage once the girl is of age.