Call for women to be included in building the new Egypt

The dramatic events in Egypt and across the Middle East and North Africa have seen millions taking to the streets to demand real change. Women and men have stood together, demanding an end to repression and calling for root and branch reform.

Both suffered under these repressive governments. But women have had to cope with discriminatory laws and deeply entrenched gender inequality. So it’s no wonder that women took to the streets; that they cheered loudly when Mubarak departed. Or that they wanted to believe the promise of a new dawn in Egypt.

But now women are being excluded by the caretaker government, and the international community is turning a blind eye. Most recently, a new national committee formed to propose changes to the Egyptian constitution was composed only of men. This is not acceptable.