Tunisia and Egypt advancing women's right together with the revolution

A large majority of Tunisia's High Commission, which is responsible for planning the July 24 elections in Tunisia, voted to ensure parity between men and women in the membership of the National Constituent Assembly.

Electoral lists will have to respect strict partiy between male and female. Lists who does not respect parity will not be accepted.

The decree also excludes as candidates anybody who served during the past 10 years in the government or the former ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally of ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was toppled in January by a popular uprising.

"This is a historic day. We have got rid of all doubts on our determination to build democracy to bring about the birth of a new regime in Tunisia. The participation of women in decision-making is a historic decision," Mokhtar Yahyaoui, a renowned human rights activist and member of the commission, told AFP.

Some critics points out that the women should earn their political rights by merit and not being granted automatic access to political position by parity. The debate over this measure on facebook pages and internet shows how vibrant and alive is the political debate since the tunisian revolution. People can now openly discuss, debate and express their opinion. The partiy will apply only to the National Constituent Assembly responsible for writing a new constitution for the country. It is not said that full and strict parity will be written in the future constitution.

Tunisia always had a leading role in gender equality
Tunisian women were among the first in the Arab world to obtain the right to vote, shortly after independence in 1956 and abortion is legal and a full right since 1973.

This decree emulated women organisations in Egypt who wants to seize the revolution opportunity to advance women's right

A group of some 16 Egyptian women organization announced on Sunday the launch of the Women’s Organizations Coalition in a press conference. Among others, the New Woman Foundation, the Egyptian Women for a Better Society and the Egyptian Women with Change.

“The revolution called upon the equality and the social justice for all portions of the society,” said Fatma Khafagy women rights’ activist participating in the coalition.
Among the demands of the coalition was the true representation of Egyptian women who participated in the revolution side by side with men. And that media should focus on women activities and let them be part of the democratic transition process.
“Women should be respectfully represented in the constituent assembly that would draft the new constitution and all other organizations in the country even the presidency,” announced the speakers.

the coalition said it was in close cooperation with different Arab organizations in Tunisia, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen to support women in these countries and to share experience in this field.

In all arab countries, women played a crucial role in the revolutions and women's right organisations intend to make clear this role has to be recognised with rights in the building of new Arab democratic countries.

Beirut, By Antonin GREGOIRE | iloubnan.info, avec agences - April 18, 2011

http://www.iloubnan.info/politics/actualite/id/60181/titre/Tunisia-and-E...