Women’s rights groups in Egypt are calling on the president to reject draft new laws around women's entitlements in marriage and child custodianship.
The draft Personal Status Law bill was introduced on 23 February and, according to the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights, could drastically limit the rights of some women.
“We find that it is shocking and does not suit the current progressive times, as it is based on the most regressive and strict jurisprudential idea,” the group said in a statement.
Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights chair Nehad Abolkmsan took to social media to directly address President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, asking him to make sure the bill is not passed.
Ms Abolkmsan said, if passed, the bill will take Egyptian women back 200 years.
“In Egypt, we have female ministers in all fields. These women can sign contracts on behalf of the state worth millions of dollars, but under this law, they wouldn’t even have the right to contract their own marriages unless they were previously married,” Ms Abolkmsan said.
The draft bill includes allowing a woman’s father, brother or male guardian to sign marriage papers on her behalf, or to file a lawsuit to annul a woman’s marriage if he deems the couple incompatible.
The bill also strips women of their rights to custodianship over their kids, requiring women to seek permission from the child's father before making any legal decisions with regards to the child, local media have reported.
Other amendments included preventing women from owning a home and stripping women of any legal protection should a man kick them out of their house, according to local media.
In a statement the women’s rights group said even notoriously conservative countries like Saudi Arabia have more progressive laws around women.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia proposes a draft law based on enlightened visions that truly contribute to fairness, Egypt is presenting a draft law based on the most stringent visions," the group said.
The women’s rights group is calling on the government to make sure the bill is not passed unless women’s legal and humanitarian rights are considered and unless the rights and interests of children are considered.
