The National Council for Women joined other women’s rights activists on Tuesday in criticizing a proposed provision in the new constitution that many believe would curtail the rights of Egyptian women.
The NCW said in a statement that it rejects articles that restrict freedom, specifically Article 36 in the chapter on rights and freedoms from which language banning trafficking of women has been removed. The article also makes reference to compatibility with "Sharia rulings," which the organization worries would allow for different interpretations by Islamic scholars.
This article does not meet the Egyptian people’s aspirations for equality between men and women and undermines full citizenship for women, the NCW added. The organization calls for the criminalization of discrimination, such that the state would then be obligated to act against discrimination.
Further, the article contradicts international agreements to which Egypt is party, which could have political, economic and social repercussions in the short and long term, the statement said.
