Al-Ahram Weekly Issue No. 243 19 - 25 October 1995
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875

Still a man's parliament

By Dina Ezzat

The underrepresentation of women is set to continue.

Most political parties are endorsing mere handfuls of women candidates in the 29 November parliamentary elections. The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) says it will field at least 15 women, the Wafd Party is pledging support for around five, the Islamist-oriented Labour Party is nominating three, and the leftist Tagammu, one. Another woman is standing on behalf of the Women's Union. The Nasserist Democratic Party, citing a lack of qualified women, is not including any on its list of candidates.

Heads of the women's secretariats of the various political parties are quick to stress the importance of women's participation, as candidates, as well as voters. "We asked women, in all governorates, who thought they would make good candidates to come forward,": said Farkhunda Hassan, chairwoman of the NDP's women's secretariat.

For women candidates, even those with the NDP's backing, the battle will be tough. Analysts believe that no more than 15 women will make it to the People's Assembly, which means that female representation will not be much higher than the meagre 2.2 per cent in the outgoing parliament.

Prevailing social attitudes do little to enhance changes of success. "In the minds of many men and women, parliament remains a patriarchal establishment," said researcher Inas Taha. Women candidates seeking to overcome the gender barrier have to be extremely capable.

Soraya Labna, standing for the NDP in Nasr City, is such a candidate. According to a local male voter, Labna is a tough woman who enjoys the full support of her party. "She is no beginner," he said. "She serves her constituency well. She is positively a winning card for the party."

But even the most confident of women candidates express concern about the formidable opponents they are running against. Mona Qorashi, a Wafd Party candidate in the constituency of Qasr Al-Nil, will face some seasoned NDP politicians and affluent independents. Fatehiya El-Assal, the Tagammu's candidate in Imbaba, also faces similarly overwhelming odds. And according to an informed NDP source, the ruling party is still pondering the wisdom of having Amal Osman, social affairs minister, run in the Dokki district opposite Maamoun El-Hodeibi, spokesman of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

Some women candidates are coming up with impressive programmes to encourage both men and women to give them their votes. Naglaa El-Qalyubi, the Labour Party's candidate in the constituency of Al-Ma'had Al-Fanni, says "the programme of the Labour Party, which is the cornerstone of my programme, offers a better alternative to the current conditions, which many people are unhappy with. So, regardless of my gender or the power of my opponents, I think that I have a fairly good chance."

While most women candidates feel compelled to address certain women's issues, such as amending the nationality law that denies Egyptian women the right to pass on their nationality to their children by foreign husbands, they steer clear of confining themselves to an exclusively feminist agenda. "If I only speak about women's rights, I run the very serious risk of losing all the men's votes," El-Assal explained.

In the next few days, candidates will start canvassing - touring their constituencies and talking to voters. large public gatherings are banned, so candidates will mingle with men in coffee shops or knock on doors to explain their vision of the future to both men and women.

Women's failure to participate in politics extends beyond the lack of women candidates. For the past year, the National Council for Motherhood and Childhood, chaired by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, has been urging women to participate more actively in politics, and particularly to register as voters.

However, since Egyptian women won the right to vote in 1956, the turnout of women voters has been very low in comparison with other countries, and has never exceeded 27.9 per cent.

Even the women who will be queuing outside the ballot boxes on 29 November will not necessarily be voting for the candidate of their choice. Their position, experts believe, is often manipulated by male relatives who have little interest in electing women or those who support women's rights.

Another reason for the failure of women to secure women's votes is that some women candidates fail to address issues of prime importance to ordinary women.

The highest level of women's representation in parliament was 6.6 per cent in 1986. This was made possible by a law that reserved 32 seats for women. Since this law was quashed by the Supreme Constitutional Court, the percentage has significantly declined.

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