Shedding light on absence of women cadres in Egyptian parties

CAIRO – 5 September 2018: Head of the parliamentary committee of the Conservative Party Hala Abu Saad demanded Wednesday Egypt’s government to establish partisan alliances to train women to develop the political field in Egypt.

Saad pointed out that until now there is no support for women from different political parties to participate in the municipal election.

According to studies prepared by the Egyptian Women's Rights Association, the percentage of Egyptian women's participation in political life does not exceed 5 percent, while their participation in the Parliament does not exceed 2 percent.

"For women to be able to chair political parties and lead political forums, there is a need for society's cultural perspective on the role of women in the public sphere to change. Recently women have proved to be more than qualified to work in different positions,” Saad added.

In the same context, professor of political science Tarek Fahmi also highlighted the notable absence of women at the ministerial level as well as the absence of women cadres in political parties.

Fahmy pointed out that the recent period has not seen any political party adopt a women's cause, asserting that parties will not survive if they do not train women to lead.

On March 8, 2018, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry stated during a meeting with the female diplomats at the ministry's headquarters that the ministry has been keen in the last four years to increase the number of women in the diplomatic corps. Shoukry added that women's empowerment in the policy-making process necessitates stimulating the leading role of women and preventing any gender-based discrimination concerning leadership roles.

On August 31, the president of the National Council for Women Maya Morsy pointed out that women keep breaking down barriers in leadership positions, and “soon women will take up the position of a governor.” She praised the presence of five female deputy governors in the governors’ reshuffle.

"Such a remarkable rise in the percentage of women filling the positions of a deputy governor," said Morsy in press statements on Thursday, adding “we are looking forward for more next time.”

In 2017, Egypt appointed the first-ever female governor, Nadia Ahmed Abdou, to the governorate of Beheira in a reshuffle. For the second time in Egypt, Manal Awad Mikhail was appointed as governor; she was sworn in on August 1 before Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi as the new governor of Damietta.