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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 February 2000 Issue No. 467 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 February 2000 Issue No. 467
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Others not themselves
True democratic education has always begun in the family, and the new Personal Status Law, which seeks to institutionalise equality between women and men, is no exception in this respect. Until now, discussions of democracy have always dealt with political practice and women's liberation as two separate issues. Education within the family reflected this division: children were familiarised with discrimination against women from an early age. How can such children grow up to be citizens participating actively in a democratic political process?
The new law takes democratic practice inside the home, into the heart of the family: it grants women their rights, while compelling men to respect the opinions of others. This is the essence of democracy, and it is only in this way that truly democratic citizens can be born and bred in our society. Only through early experience of pluralism and mutual respect can humans learn the importance of participation and equality -- a lesson they will apply later to all areas of life, including formal political activity.
The character of Amina in the Trilogy is a paragon of woman's oppression within the household, but few people realise that my portrayal was no exaggeration. There was no room for artistic licence here: that was the way things were. I will be very happy when they change.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
