Egypt's First Lady calls on women to vote in upcoming polls
Egypt, Politics, 7/13/2000

Female participation in political life is one of the vital issues affecting the whole of society in general and women's lives in particular, Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak told a Cairo forum yesterday.

A woman's work in politics should not merely be confined to voting in general elections, or joining the parliament; it should involve her full and active participation in the national development process, Mrs. Mubarak said.

Addressing the opening session of the one-day forum, entitled "Political Participation" organized by the National Council for Women, Mrs. Mubarak called on all eligible Egyptian women to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

"A woman's possession of a voting card is her first step towards political participation and it gives her a well-heard voice in the country's affairs,ª she told the forum's participants.

The first lady identified three points: female political participation, stages of participation in the process of political decision making, and history and cultural heritage.

On the first point, she said that women's participation was not restricted to parliamentary representation, or parliamentary nomination, or attending polls only, but it meant participation in the political decision making process in other civil organizations, such as political parties, professional syndicates, trade unions and universities.

On the second point, Mrs. Mubarak explained that there were four things which women had to do in order to participate in the decision making process: (1) they had to obtain a voting card, (2) elect the most suitable parliamentary candidates, (3) run for election, and (4) as a sitting MP, positively and competently take part in the parliament's drawing up of national strategies and laws.

On the third point, Mrs. Mubarak concluded that there were no social norms or historical precedents which denied the right of Egyptian women to participate in the political decision making process.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt's First Lady heads forum on women's political participation   (5/30/2000)
  First Lady Mubarak receives British Aerospace Systems grant for promoting education in Egypt   (5/17/2000)
  Mubarak calls on Egyptian women to revitalize their political role   (3/14/2000)

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