The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners Campaign

Hand in hand- Egypt without torture

Cairo: 25/7/2004

The Second Seminar of the Intellectual Salon

Organized by the Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners with the cooperation of the Egyptian Institute for Training and Human Rights

On Sunday July 25, 2004, HRAAP organizes the second seminar of the Intellectual Salon with the cooperation of the Egyptian Institute for Training and Human Rights adopted by the two organizations that aims at organizing set of Intellectual seminars monthly in the framework of the cooperation in the field of supporting human rights culture on various levels. The second seminar is on "Woman Conditions Reform … Is It the Problem of Law? … Elite? …  Society?"

This seminar comes because of ideas related to woman and society cases. These initiatives call for reforming woman conditions to improve her role in development process and the required political reform and activating her positive participation in society cases after the shameful regression in this vital and necessary phase to make the development process successful in all different phases.

However, in the same time when claims and petitions and slogans supporting to woman conditions reform we can monitor many respects of the escalating social regression that arouses troubles around the actual and impressive future participation.

Facts say that all parts unexceptionally refrain from nominating women in general elections even if that happened it would be limited and symbolic although the number of the registered women in election tables amount to 50%, the elect in public councils are very little.

The same in unions as the enthusiasm of women for elections are still limited however; the results are not for their benefits as what happened in elections of Journalists union and finally in Bar Syndicate. Although the number of the registered in Journalists union reach 48%, in Bar Syndicate 43%, Medicine union 47% and Commerce union 36%.

Although the state issued many laws aiming at terminating the awful types of discrimination and humiliation against woman such as the nationality law and family court etc, facts unveil social practices exceeded restricting the problem to the legal phases including distinction between man and woman in work. The high percentage of unemployment among women after the spread of the call of women's return to home, humiliating view of man to woman and restricting its role to care of family and children in the framework of the dominance of distinctive and racial thoughts among different social categories.

In return, some outcomes refer to the steady increase in the percentage of the participation of woman in many activities of general work in Egypt through last years. However, this participation does not extend to the whole society till now and confined to activities of limited impact on society and our daily life.

In the framework of these contradictory outcomes; parties, political forces, associations, and meetings of woman announced different programs to correct woman conditions and developing her role in participation. However, all of them lack certain mechanisms to activate these thoughts in society that witnesses a different direction to the requirements of different activities, and that arouse more the persistence on the main question … are we before elite of a society problem? Is it enough to amend laws to correct conditions or woman conditions reform requires larger actions than laws and provisions?

The seminar will be attended by[1] Mr. Hussein Abdel Razek "Secretary General of Assembly Party", Dr. Fatma Khafaga "the Rapporteur of Grievances Committee in the National Council Of Woman", Mrs. A'sha Abdel Hady "Member of the Consultation Assembly and Egyptian Laborer Union, Mr. Abdel Aziz Mohamed "Member of Al Wafd High Committee", Mr. Isam Al Eryan "Medicine Union", Mrs. Amina Shafik "Journalist and Member of the National Council of Woman", Mrs. Farida Al Nakkash "Journalist and Head of Woman Development Meeting", Dr. Kamilia Shukry "Head of Al Wafd Women Committee", Dr. Amal Abdel Hady "Member of the New Woman Institute", Dr. Afaf Mar'y "the Member of the Administration Board of the Egyptian Association for Developing the Social Participation", Mrs. Manal Agrama "Writer", Mr. Mahmoud Murtada "the Director of the Alternative Development" and Mr. Salah Soliman "Lawyer".   

The two organizations feel honors to invite you to attend this salon and we are sure that your opinions will enrich the discussion around this important issue.

The seminar will begin at 7 pm in the head office of the association in 14 Saray Al Azbakeya St, 3^rd floor, flat 17, Al Shark Insurance block behind Al Americain  restaurant from Imadeddin St,  

The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners