Interview - Brotherhood lacked faith in women as ‘useful force’ in society: Amb. Mervat Al-Talawi

CAIRO - 24 June 2023: Ten years have passed since the June 30 Revolution took place, and as we celebrate this month the anniversary, we also recall the spirit of this uprising that meant to build a homeland, correct a path and open horizons of dream and hope for millions of Egyptians. 

Beside paving the way to restoring security, and building resilient economy, the June 30 Revolution also had a great impact on Egyptian women status in the country, by eliminating the Brotherhood degrading vision of women, and instead believing in women’s role as a success partner in society. 

Discussing the difficult period that women suffered before the revolution and the most important gains that they obtained after it, we had an open conversation with Ambassador Mervat Al-Talawi, who assumed the presidency of the National Council for Women during the year of the Brotherhood rule. 

Mervat Al-Talawi held the position of President of the National Council for Women from 2011 - 2016, and then became the Director of the Arab Women Organization from 2016-2018.

Witnessing the gains made for Egyptian women since its inception on June 30, Al-Talawi opens her heart as she described the revolution as “a starting point for changing the entire Egyptian vision of women.”

Before June 30

“We were in a state of drowning and we got out of it,” she said as we began the interview. 

She continued saying that Egyptian women were very active during the incidents of the revolution. “When I went to Tahrir Square, I went up to a high place and watched how the women stood in Tahrir Square. She went on describing the sense of pride and joy that prevailed the squares, balconies and homes on the day of the ouster of the Brotherhood rule,  and the abolishment of the constitution the Islamic group set then. 

She went on saying “the Brotherhood’s sole goal was to reach power, but they cannot rule,” adding that she met with late President Mohamed Morsi three times, where she found him “an ordinary person, but the decision comes to him with instructions from other parties.”

During Morsi’s rule, Al-Talawi was the president of the National Council for Women, and she described that period as “dark and bad,” as she used to receive many complaints from women, saying that once she received complaints of three women agents at the Ministry of Religious Endowments being transferred from their positions to warehouses without any prior reason. 

“[The Brotherhood group] was not convinced of the role of the woman, but instead they only saw her role in the house to cook and bring up children. They never thought of woman as a useful human force for the state, but instead, they wanted to remove any woman from a prominent position,” she added. 

The National Council for Women is entrusted with organizing and arranging everything related to women. “I confirm that they had a desire to extract the political status of the National Council for Women.”

Al-Talawi further explained that the Brotherhood’s lack of faith in women also appeared “when a doctor in the Freedom and Justice Party “the Brotherhood affiliated Party” applied for a membership in the Brotherhood Guidance Bureau, which was met by anger from the leaders, who then decided to expel her from the party for no reason, though she had many years being part of the party. 

“This just reflects their degrading view of women, and how they see women as not considered a natural citizen who has all rights,” she added. 

Al-Talawi went on describing “the very bad year of the Brotherhood ruling of the country,” adding that the Islamic group “used to use young ladies who are members of the Muslim Brotherhood to speak badly about members of the National Council for Women (NCW), and threw horrible accusations against us.”

She said that NCW members were summoned by the Parliament over the “baseless accusations,” although it is illegal since the council is not an executive body.

After June 30

Speaking about the transformation felt in the women status following the June 30 revolution incidents, Al-Talawi said “what happened after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi took over was a very big shift for women, enabling them to live their golden age.”

Al-Talawi stressed the importance of the political will in making women’s dreams in empowerment come true. 

She signaled the support that women gain from President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who never leave any forum or occasion without praising women’s role in society, as she explained. 

“During the era of President Sisi, women entered the State Council after many years of claims, which would not have been achieved without the political will,” adding that President Sisi’s signaling of the role of women “is a clear message to everyone that the trend at the present time is in favor of women.”

She highlighted the importance of a step taken to formulate a strategy to combat violence against women per instructions of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. 

“What happened in both ministries of Interior and Justice in terms of changing their organizational structure to meet what the President directed in terms of eliminating violence against women was very important. A special department was created to confront violence against women, and a signal was given to police stations to take care of complaints and calls of harassment and other forms of violence against women,” she added.

Also, women have witnessed new legislation since 2014 in terms of harsher penalties in a way that serves their interest, and there has begun to be interest in the educational aspect in the media regarding women’s issues, in addition to many gains from women’s access to positions that they did not reach before and the emergence of laws that increase the punishment of female genital mutilation (FGM), Harassment, depriving women of inheritance, and other protection programs and social and health programs directed to women.

As the interview concludes, Amb. Mervat Al-Talawi wanted to send message to Egyptian citizens, telling them to be aware that of the difference between the economic crisis and the political circumstances, “as whatever the economic crisis is, it will end soon and the economic issues will be resolved, but the people must realize that there are enemies of Egypt who see the scale of growth and the achievements that are happening in this period and do not want this growth to continue.”

She added: “My dreams for the Egyptian woman is for her to feel herself and her strength, and that she has a role to serve her country.”

“If we want our country to progress, men and women must work together and produce together,” she said.