 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 February 2000 Issue No. 467 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 February 2000 Issue No. 467
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Respectfully submitted
By Mohaya Zeitoun *
I was relieved to see that the draft of the new Personal Status Law contained an article stipulating that women, like other human beings, have the right to travel freely. Men were not completely prevented from impeding women's freedom to travel, but some limitations were imposed upon that right. My relief was replaced by complete surprise when the government withdrew that particular article, to the applause of the People's Assembly.
Can this be happening at the beginning of a new century? Women are being denied the right to travel freely under the pretext that this would be detrimental to the family's interest and would violate the principal of a wife's duty to obey her husband.
No wife or mother, with few exceptions, would deliberately harm her children; and no exception can justify denying the majority their rights. On the other hand, society allows some men to abuse their right to travel, even when this harms the family.
One human's blind submission to another is unacceptable. This is not about obedience. It is about intimidation, humiliation and abuse of power. We need mutual respect, not the humiliating formula of blind submission to an absolute will. Only a deep craving for control and domination explains the decision. Weak men perceive this as one way of ensuring women's obedience.
According to the Constitution, all citizens are equal before the law, and personal freedom is a natural right. Further, any woman can travel inside Egypt without her husband's written approval. Why should travel abroad be any different?
This article would have been passed if the Assembly believed that women are citizens with full rights, just like men.
* This week's Soapbox speaker is professor of economics at Al-Azhar University.
