|
 AFROL
Gender Profiles:
Egypt
Egypt in many ways belongs more to the Middle East and Europe than to Africa.
Although the population predominantly is Muslim and Arab, African and Christian
(Coptic) minorities exist. Women's rights are dual, such as Egypt is dual
between modernity and traditional life. Laws, although partly based on Shari' a,
are modern and considering women's rights. Rural life, however, mirrors
traditional values, including the almost universal practice f female genital
mutilation. Social class and, religious background, political views, rural/urban
location and family are most important for women's highly different fates in
Egypt.
Domestic violence against women is a significant problem.
Wife-beating is common. Spousal abuse is grounds for a divorce, but the law requires the plaintiff to produce
eyewitnesses. Marital rape is not illegal
When "honor killings" (a man murdering a female relative for her perceived lack of chastity) occur, perpetrators generally receive lighter punishments than those convicted in other cases of murder.
By law, unmarried women under the age of 21 must have permission from their fathers to obtain passports and to travel; married women of any age require the same permission from their husbands. Only males may confer citizenship.
Between 86 and 97% of females undergo Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Every woman in Egypt averagely gives birth to 3,15children (2000 est.)
Social data
Life expectancy: Total population: 63,33 years
male: 61,29 years
female: 65,47 years (2000 est.)
Infant mortality: 62,32 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Alphabetization rate: Total population: 51,4%
male: 63,6%
female: 38,8% (1995 est.)
Medical services: 495 persons per doctor. 1% of total population has no access to health services.
Sex ratio: at birth: 1,05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1,05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1,02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0,79 male(s)/female
total population: 1,02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Religious data: Traditional African religions 1,16%,
Christians (Coptic and others) 10,84%, Muslim 88%.
Family and tradition
The law provides for equality of the sexes; however, aspects of the law and many traditional practices discriminate against women. By law, unmarried women under the age of 21 must have permission from their fathers to obtain passports and to travel; married women of any age require the same permission from their husbands. Only males may confer citizenship. In rare cases, this means that children who are born to Egyptian mothers and stateless fathers are themselves stateless. A woman's testimony is equal to that of a man's in the courts. There is no legal prohibition against a woman serving as a judge, although in practice no women serve as judges. The Court of Cassation agreed to hear in January 2000 the case of attorney Fatma Lashin, who is challenging the Government's refusal to appoint her as a public prosecutor. (To become a judge, one must first serve as a public prosecutor.)
Laws affecting marriage and personal status generally correspond to an individual's religion. A 1979 liberalization of the Family Status Law, which strengthened a Muslim woman's rights to divorce and child custody, was repealed in 1985 after the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the use of a presidential decree to implement the law was unjustified.
Under Islamic law, non-Muslim males must convert to Islam to marry Muslim women, but non-Muslim women need not convert to marry Muslim men. Muslim female heirs receive half the amount of a male heir's inheritance, while Christian widows of Muslims have no inheritance rights. A sole female heir receives half her parents' estate; the balance goes to designated male relatives. A sole male heir inherits all his parents' property. Male Muslim heirs face strong social pressure to provide for all family members who require assistance; however, this assistance is not always provided.
The tradition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is deeply
rooted in Egypt. This harmful practice is generally performed on girls between the ages of 7 and 10, with equal prevalence among Muslims and Christians.
Gender sensitivity in society
The Constitution provides for equality of the sexes and equal treatment of non-Muslims; however, aspects of the law and many traditional practices discriminate against women and Christians.
Women and minorities are underrepresented in government and politics. The Constitution reserves 10 Assembly seats for presidential appointees, which the President traditionally has used to assure representation for women and Coptic Christians. Five women but no Copts were elected in 1995; of the 10 presidential appointments, 6 were Copts and 4 were women. The ruling NDP nominated no Coptic candidates in the 1995 parliamentary elections. Two women and 2 Copts serve among the 32 ministers in the Cabinet.
Women have employment opportunities in government, medicine, law, academia, the arts, and, to a lesser degree, business. Labor laws provide for equal rates of pay for equal work for men and women in the public sector. According to government figures, women constitute 17 percent of private business owners and occupy 25 percent of the managerial positions in the four major national banks. Social pressure against women pursuing a career is strong, and some women's rights advocates say that a resurgent Islamic fundamentalist trend limits further gains. Women's rights advocates also point to other discriminatory traditional or cultural attitudes and practices such as female genital mutilation and the traditional male relative's role in enforcing chastity and chaste sexual conduct.
A number of active women's rights groups work in diverse areas, including reforming family law, educating women on their legal rights, promoting literacy, and combating FGM.
Health data
Access to potable water: 87%
Medical services: 495 persons per doctor. 1% of total population has no access to health services.
Maternal mortality rate: 170/100.000.
Infant mortality: 62,32 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): About 97% of women who have ever been
married, have undergone FGM. 86% of adolescent girls between the ages of 13 and
19 have undergone FGM.
The Government remains committed to eradicating the practice of female genital mutilation, which is widely condemned by international health experts as damaging to both physical and psychological health. Despite strong government and community efforts to eradicate FGM, government and private sources agree that it is common. Traditional and family pressures remain strong; a study conducted in 1995 places the percentage of women who have ever been married who have undergone FGM at 97 percent. In February the Population Council released the results of a 1997 survey of Egyptian adolescents, which found that 86 percent of girls between the ages of 13 and 19 had undergone FGM. FGM generally is performed on girls between the ages of 7 and 10, with equal prevalence among Muslims and Christians.
The Court of Cassation issued a decision in 1997 that upheld the legality of the decree banning FGM issued in 1996 by the Minister of Health and Population Planning. In addition to enforcing the decree, the Government supports a range of efforts to educate the public. A discussion of FGM and its dangers has been added to the curriculum of the school system. The Government broadcasts television programs criticizing the practice. Government ministers are outspoken in advising citizens to cease the practice, and senior religious leaders also support efforts to stop it. The Sheikh of Al-Azhar, the most senior Islamic figure in the country, and the leader of the Coptic Christian community, Pope Shenouda, have stated repeatedly that FGM is not required by religious doctrine. However, illiteracy impedes some women from distinguishing between the deep-rooted tradition of FGM and religious practices. A number of NGO's also work actively to educate the public about the health hazards of the practice.
Violence against women
Domestic violence against women is a significant problem and is reflected in press accounts of specific incidents. According to a national study conducted in 1995 as part of a comprehensive demographic and health survey, one of every three women who have ever been married has been beaten at least once during marriage. Among those who have been beaten, less than half have ever sought help. Smaller, independent studies confirm that wife-beating is common. In general, neighbors and extended family members intervene to limit incidents of domestic violence. Due to the value attached to privacy in the country's traditional society, abuse within the family rarely is discussed publicly. Spousal abuse is grounds for a divorce, but the law requires the plaintiff to produce eyewitnesses, a difficult condition to meet. Several NGO's offer counseling, legal aid, and other services to women who are victims of domestic violence. These activists believe that in general the police and the judiciary consider the "integrity of the family" more important than the well-being of the woman. The Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs runs more than 150 family counseling bureaus nationwide, which provide legal and medical services.
The punishment for rape ranges from 3 years in prison to life imprisonment at hard labor, and the Government prosecutes rapists. If a rapist is convicted of abducting his victim, he is subject to execution; however, there were no reports of the execution of rapists. During the year, the Government abolished an article of the Penal Code that permitted a rapist to be absolved of criminal charges if he married his victim. However, marital rape is not illegal. Although reliable statistics regarding rape are not available, activists believe that it is not uncommon, despite strong social disapproval. When "honor killings" (a man murdering a female relative for her perceived lack of chastity) occur, perpetrators generally receive lighter punishments than those convicted in other cases of murder.
Prostitution and sex tourism are illegal, but known to occur.
Main sources: U.S. Department of State, CIA,
Mundo negro
AfriPromote Banner Exchange
©
afrol.com. Texts and graphics may be reproduced freely, under the
condition that their origin is clearly referred to, see Conditions.
You can contact us at elin.nordhagen@afrol.com |
|
