By Mostafa Salem
Feminist studies group Nazra nominated 16 women on Tuesday to join the constitutional committee that will review the suspended constitution.
In an online statement the group issued an introduction to the nominees in what they called a simple and concise definition of who each candidate is, including their biography, previous legal experience, age, employment and political history.
Nazra explained that the academy of women’s political participation initiated by them in October 2011 initially introduced them to the candidates.
The group includes candidates from different classes of society; the average candidate age is in the 40s and most have a legal background. Candidate Elham Al-Kaseer, 32, has a master’s degree in International human rights law; Ragia Omran, 40, has a master of laws; and Safaa Zaky Morad is an appeals court lawyer.
All candidates have prominent political records; most are activists, including one being an ex-member of parliament, Sanaa Ahmad Gamal.
The constitution, which was suspended on 30 June, will be reviewed by a preliminary committee to evaluate the articles which will require amending. It is scheduled to finish on 18 August.
The presidency will pick a committee of 50 individuals that will amend the new articles while various political factions have presented their nominees.
According to Nazra’s website, the group is a nongovernmental organisation formed to develop “Arabic terminologies” that provide “legal and psychological interventions” as well support females in the political arena. The group also aims to bring “strategic litigation for gender legal cases locally, regionally, and internationally.”
