Egypt

Egypt: Women, Christians among groups unhappy with Egypt's new government

When Islamist President Mohamed Morsi was elected in late June, he promised to represent all Egyptians by forming a government inclusive of women, Christians, youth and even artists and intellectuals.

Although the president said he heard the voices of all Egyptians, the much-anticipated government announced last week has proven to be a disappointment for many as a setback to the ideals that propelled the revolution that last year toppled Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt: Sexual Harassment: the Dark Side of Tahrir Square

A few days ago British journalist Natasha Smith published a long and anguished account of being sexually assaulted at the hands of a mob in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. She described how she was attacked by numerous men, her clothes torn off while she was beaten and groped as bystanders did nothing and those who tried to rescue her were set upon by the mob.

Egypt: Women Refuse To Be Silenced By Assaults

Violence against women demonstrators in Egypt erupted again on Tuesday when a frenzied mob of 200 men sexually assaulted a female protester in Tahrir Square. Then, during a rally on Friday to protest the incident, about 50 women and their male allies were themselves brutalized and chased away by another mob.

Egypt: 'Women accuse Egyptian military of sexual assault'

Women protesters and rights groups have accused Egyptian troops and prison authorities of sexual assault during the latest crackdown on demonstrations, reviving allegations they are using abuse to intimidate female detainees and protesters. The charges made on Wednesday added new tension to Egypt's presidential election campaign, just two weeks before the voting.

Egypt: 'Women's NGO takes pro-FGM Parliamentarian to court'

Egypt’s New Women Foundation said they are suing Islamist Parliament member Azza al-Garf over her pro-female genitals mutilation (FGM) statements. The women’s rights foundation sent a letter to the speaker of parliament Saad al-Katatny, informing him of legally going after Garf and asking for his permission to be allowed to take the MP to court.

Middle East and North Africa: 'Why Do They Hate Us?'

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Egypt: 'The Council of Women in Egypt: Can it really defend women's rights?'

A new council for women’s rights was established in Egypt a year after the Jan. 25 2011 revolution. Although it was harshly attacked by political activists for retaining the ideals of the wife of the former dictator, it is an important institution that works to protect the rights of women. It is perhaps the only official institution that attempts to give a voice to women, who are marginalized daily in the new Egypt, with many sectors attempting to sideline them from any vital role either socially or politically.

Printemps arabe : Partis islamistes : Les gros sous de l’étranger

En Tunisie, en Egypte, en Libye, la conquête fulgurante du pouvoir par des mouvements islamistes, parrainés notamment par les pétromonarchies du Golfe, est sujette à suspicion. Le rapprochement avec l’Algérie est vite fait. L’implication du Qatar dans le soutien aux mouvements islamistes de tous bords (chiites ou sunnites, salafistes djihadistes ou Frères musulmans) ne date pas du Printemps arabe. Le nouveau code électoral et la loi sur les partis en Algérie ont sacrifié l’exigence de transparence des finances des formations politiques.

MENA: 'The Uprisings will be Gendered'

Women's rights and the regulation of gender and sex norms in the Arab world have long been put under the spotlight by local and international activists in addition to local and international politicians and NGOs. This year, the ongoing uprisings in the Arab world have brought into focus some dominant ways that sexual and bodily rights are framed, gendered, and politicized. These can be grouped under three loose themes, each of which deserves further study: One is the equation of gender with women and/or sexual and gender minorities. Two is the fear of Islamists.

International: 'Lettre ouverte à Kenneth Roth, directeur executif de Human Right Watch

Cher Kenneth Roth,