The World Bank hails new Egyptian Civil Affairs Law
Egypt, Culture, 6/6/2000

With the onset of the special session of the UN General Assembly on women's rights in the new millennium which began yesterday, the World Bank emphasized that the alliance between the civil society movement in Egypt and the government, under the supervision of judicial and Sharia' (Islamic Law) officials, was successful in issuing a law that represents a big accomplishment for women in Egypt, an Egyptian statement said.

The law is one that is intended to simplify legal procedures in civil affairs cases.

The praise fro the new Egyptian law by the World Bank came in the report it prepared on its policies related to women who are considered an integral part of development. The report is to be presented and discussed in the National Councils meetings that began yesterday and are to continue till the ninth of June in parallel with the UN General Assembly session under the title of "Beijing +5."

Mrs. Mirvat Tillawi the Secretary General of the National Council for Women and a member of the Egyptian envoy taking part in the General Assembly meetings stated that the holding of this session at the beginning of the new millennium will have a large impact on focussing attention on women's issues and rights. She said that the World Bank and specialized agencies have confirmed that issues related to women and their equality are major issues nowadays, especially since there is a specific global demand concerning the presence of women in position of power and decision making.

During a press conference held yesterday, Tillawi added that the Egyptian envoy included for the first time officials and representatives from governmental and non-governmental agencies in addition to the private sector and the media, all of whom are experts in economics and politics. This, she said, reflects Egypt's great concern and interest in involving all sectors in the responsibility of developing and increasing the status of women.

Tillawi said that the preparatory work groups for the meetings of the special session of the General Assembly started long enough before the opening of the session so as to be able to finish discussing the two documents to be published after the meeting. These two documents undisputedly represent the official political stance, while the second one of these documents concentrates on the analysis and amendment of what took place in the Beijing Conference for Women, progress that has been achieved as well as impediments to progress and work agendas. This is because there was dispute on many issues between advanced and developing countries including globalization and its adverse effects on women.

Mrs.Tillawi pointed to the differences in points of view between the developing and advanced countries concerning the concept of family, whereas there was a consensus among Arab states as to adhering to the traditional definition of the family known in its societies. She also mentioned the this struggle started as early as the Population and Development Conference held in Cairo in 1994, and the Fourth World Conference for Women held in Beijing in 1995. The objective here is to revert to a time before the holding of these conferences.

A feeling of apprehension was increasing within the UN yesterday following the strong objections of a number of countries including: Algeria, Libya, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, Nicaragua, the Vatican and the Islamic World League. These countries are demanding the change of many of the articles that were defined in the Beijing declaration in 1995 during the conference based on their view that these articles contradict the religious teachings of the 'Heavenly Religions' as well as long standing customs and traditions in many of these societies, an Egyptian statement stated.

Previous Stories:
  Women's rights constantly improving   (6/5/2000)
  Inter-cultural dialogue, only alternative to violence   (5/31/2000)
  Egyptian woman should seek self-assertion in coming elections   (5/23/2000)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search