Women's Rights in Focus: Egypt

This 39-page study, "Women's Rights in Focus: Egypt", finds that advances in women's rights remain blocked by Egypt's closed political system, inadequate public education, and a population largely disengaged from political life. As a result, men and women are poorly informed about women's rights. However, an ongoing media revolution led by the explosive growth of satellite television is helping to better inform Egyptians of women's rights, among other issues.

"Egyptian women have realized some important gains in recent years, but this research shows that much more work needs to be done to improve the rights of women in Egypt, as well as of all Egyptians," said Freedom House Executive Director Jennifer Windsor. "More efforts are needed to raise broader public awareness of basic women's rights, and the government needs to take bolder steps to reform its political system so it is responsive to its citizens' basic needs," she said.

The study is based on focus groups conducted with a broad-cross section of the Egyptian public in May and June 2004 in Cairo, Alexandria, and several villages in the Nile Delta and Upper Egypt. The research, consisting of 16 focus groups, captured views from an equal number of women and men. The subjects represented a wide range of education levels, from illiterate Egyptians to college graduates, and ranged in age from 20 to 65. Directed by Brian Katulis, a research consultant with Freedom House, the research was designed to give voice to citizens whose views are often excluded from discussions on women's rights and democracy. Freedom House partnered with an Egyptian research organisation to conduct the study.