Current Debates on Women’s Legal Rights in Theory and Practice

Abstract

This chapter will look at the various laws from the perspectives of different women activists. Only those laws — and those aspects of the laws — which have been mentioned by activists from the NGO and political parties as problematic will be discussed. These are the PSL (Personal Status/Family Laws), Citizenship/Nationality Laws, laws dealing with women’s political rights and Labour Laws. The reason why I look at both laws and current debates is because many of the debates are about these laws, whilst others are carried out in conjunction with or around the laws.

As the twentieth century draws to a close, there is a very real danger that the momentum of the Egyptian women’s movement may have been halted or even reversed. Enormous pressure is being brought to bear on the women of Egypt by forces actively working to create a general climate in the country that could eventually deprive them of their rights or impede their exercise of these rights, whether by invoking antiquated habits and customs or by wilfully misinterpreting both man-made laws and divine teachings to suit their purpose. (The Communication Group for the Enhancement of the Status of Women in Egypt¹ 1992: 4)