Egypt to have at least 64 women MPs after election (Sandi)

Even though Egypt has guaranteed that out of 508 parliamentary seats, 64 of them would be for women and that in terms of the process of women's rights, i think that this a positive but small development in the Egyptian's government part. I still cant help but to feel sceptical about this issue because Egypt is a country where political expression is limited. Firstly, potential candidates must meet strict criteria in order to participate in the elections process and secondly,the strongest challenger to the ruling government is the Muslim Brotherhood which is tolerated but officially banned by the authority.

When freedom of political expression is not there in the first place, or like what Gamila Ismail, an independent, has pointed out, when the electoral process is not transparent, I start to question what really motivated the government to do so and the political context in which it was taken in. The government could be like what Gamila Ismail said, that it wants to boost its image abroad by using the increase in women participation in election as a tool.

If the government is really trying to address the longstanding under-representation of women and bring Egypt in line with levels of female parliamentary participation elsewhere in the Arab world and boost its image, then why should it has only 64 out of 508 seats reserved for women. My sentiments are the same as The Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights, non-government organisation, that the proportion is too low. I feel that the seats should be freely contested and there would be no quotas regardless of gender if the government really appeared to be that open-minded.

Egypt to have at least 64 women MPs after election (Cheryl)

I feel that this is something new, for the first time, egypt boosting women's profile in the male-dominating society by reserving at least 64 parliamentary seats for women who participated in the election.

Despite some comments that there is no need for women to strengthen the party which is already full of important and brilliant men, and women being a burden to the party, i still feel that it is not a bad thing to allow women to be in the party. It can prove to others that even though it has always been the men who had been managing the party well, women can do the same too and might even do it better.

This might also be a chance to prove to those who have the traditional mindset of "women are weak and should stay home to be just housewives, leave the rest to men" that women can do what men are doing now and do not underestimate women as whether it is men or women, we are all equal.

As quoted from the article, "The large size of the constituencies reserved for women is a financial and physical burden for the candidates," the NGO said, resulting in the "sidelining of social groups that are more in need of political representation." I feel that the NGO is prejudiced. Like i mentioned earlier, women should be given equal chances to fight for their rights. I believe that there is nothing that men can do which women cannot do.

Egypt to have at least 64 women MPs after election (Wei Sheng)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/1095560/1/.html

Being a male dominated society, Egypt is beginning to be more open-minded and see the fact that the country's prosperity is far more important than which gender is doing the work from. Beginning from Egypt establishing its first women's quota system in 1979 of 30 seats, to now - 31 years later, the seats are twice or even more as much available for the women.

However, there are some of the people who felt that this implemented idea is not successful. This can be seen from the source that a lady, Osmane who is a long-practising accountant claimed that she has been a party member all her life commented that 'the party is already very strong and full of important and brilliant men. It does not need women to strengthen its position.' I find it quite perplexing as someone of the same gender who would claim these kinds of saying, however she probably has an idea that probably the males could do it better as of now.

However, there are also people such as Gamila Ismail, an independent who has refused to join the list reserved for women, felt that the regime actually cheats women and uses them to boost its image abroad. She also said that women will participate fully in the political aspect when men do too, however they are unable to to participate in this regime as there is an electoral process that is not transparent.