WOMEN & DEMOCRACY IN THE ARAB WORLD A Field Study on Women’s Political Participation in Post-revolution Egypt

Abstract

Among the countries involved in the 2011 Arab revolution, Egypt and Tunisia are considered to have developed the most. However, Tunisia is the only country recognised as having undergone a successful democratic transition, whilst the transition in Egypt has been unstable and not as prosperous. This study aims to increase the understanding of the impact women can have on post-Arab revolution countries’ transition to democracy, by analysing the challenges and opportunities for women’s political participation through the lenses of the UN Security Council’s agenda on Women, Peace and Security, in mainly Egypt. To receive a comprehensive understanding of the issue, a case study is presented, where Egypt constitutes the main case of interest, and Tunisia a comparative background case. In order to reach the objective, a two months field study to Egypt was undertaken, where interviews with relevant actors were conducted. To deepen the analysis further, this paper also includes policy documents, a note written by the Egyptian Ambassador Moushira Khattab on UNSCR 1325 and the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030. It concludes by providing policy recommendations and by arguing that Egyptian women can bring about positive change for the country, if there is a wider and dedicated commitment to increase the respect for women’s rights and participation on all levels of decision-making.