As Egypt enters the second week of protests against the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak, women are speaking out about what the uprising means to them, and to neighboring Tunisia, Yemen and Jordan where change is also on the horizon. Whatever transpires in the weeks ahead, we hope that these nations and their people will foster a peaceful transition -- and that women leaders and NGOs will be part of the political solution and new governments. We’re posting here some of the women’s voices that we’ve heard in the past few days.
Of the vigorous protests in Cairo, leading Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi wants to ensure that the world knows the central role women are playing alongside men. As she told Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, "Women and girls are beside boys in the streets," she said. "We are calling for justice, freedom and equality, and real democracy and a new constitution, no discrimination between men and women, no discrimination between Muslims and Christians."
The New York Times reported that Mariam Soliman, a 28-year-old Egyptian school counselor, led a group down a street and became surrounded by truckloads of riot police officers. "Women have to go down and participate and demand their rights, or is it going to be the men who fight for our rights?" she said.
Nancy Yousef, who was born in Egypt and now teaches English literature at CUNY Baruch in New York, expressed concern over potential chaos in her home country: "People are concerned for their own families and for the survival of their own families. Tensions between the very wealthy and the very poor are nothing new in Egypt."
Egyptian-born columnist and speaker Mona Eltahawy spoke on MSNBC about the international response: "Some wonder who should take over. Egypt is a country of 80 million people. We can come up with alternatives. We don’t ask for anyone to rescue Egypt...All we ask for is moral support. We want the world to be on the side of the future, and that future is on the streets of Egypt. Long live the revolution!"
**The Global Fund for Women, released a strong and comprehensive statement on the protests: "The Global Fund for Women stands in solidarity with the brave women and men who are risking their lives to create a new country, one that respects human rights, justice and equality for all...We call upon the US government to stand on the right side of history and support the Egyptian people's right to true democracy and freedom."
**The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights released a statement last week condemning some security forces’ "use of excessive force against demonstrators in Egypt" on January 25th and 26th. The Center stated that they will "continue to receive reports and complaints and provide legal support for demonstrators, especially women."
Protesters in Tunisia, who have been credited with sparking reform in the region, include Asma Belkassem, a 31-year-old lawyer, who shared aspirations for a new era for Tunisian women. "What is sure is that we women have rights in Tunisia," she says. "And no one can take them away now. Not the Islamists or anybody else."
For a roundup of women's voices around the region,click here