Egypt celebrates every year on 16 March, its own women’s day, aiming to focus on women`s historic struggle for their rights and also to recognise their current achievements and obstacles.
The 16 March is a special day in the history of Egyptian women’s struggle towards her rights, the roots of the day dates back to 1919 when women participated for the first time in political demonstrations during the1919 revolution.
During these demonstrations, the wives of Egyptian politicians and students from the Sunni Secondary School for Girls participated in these demonstartions, carrying both the crescent with the cross, confirming national unity.
These demonstrations were the beginning of a series of women-led demonstrations. The revolution led to the creation of female martyrs, the first of which was Shafiqa Mohamed Al-Ashmawi.
Four years after the great representation of women in the 1919 revolution, Hoda Shaarawy founded the Egyptian Women’s Federation on the same date on March 16, 1923, which is the first women’s union in Egypt, and the only association that represented Egypt in the first international women’s conference.
On 16 March1956, Egyptian women obtained the right to vote and to be elected, which was one of the demands that Egyptian women fought for. It was officially fulfilled in the 1956 constitution.
Over the years, Egyptian women participated strongly in all fields, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi declared 2017 as the year of the Egyptian woman.
Currently, Egyptin women constitute 25% of the government, with women representing 15% in parliament. The latest constitutional amendments also stipulate a quota for 25% women and 20% youth, starting in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
