Introduction

Since the midst of the nineteenth Century, some trends emerged advocating that women emancipation is an integral part of the development of society. These progressive ideas were circulated through the writings of people like Refaa Al Tahtawy, Mohammed Abdou, Kassem Amin and other Egyptian thinkers.

Appeals were made to advocate for the right of women to education and work in addition to other socio-economic rights.

Political and social changes occurred in the Egyptian society and affected the status of Egyptian women, and consequently their role in public life. In 1956, the Constitution granted Egyptian women unconditional equal socio-political rights, thus crowning their struggle with success.

Egyptian women participate in the process of development, assume the national responsibilities mentioned in the Constitution, and benefit from full legal rights that allow them to contribute in all aspects of the development process, either in the field of production or in services, according to their capabilities and skills.

However, women participation in public life remains limited. This is due to a number of socio-economic and cultural factors that would tend to create a bias against females in some aspects of life, establishing thus a gender gap. Therefore, it became imperative to create a mechanism responsible for developing and implementing a general strategy for women, aiming at narrowing the gender gaps and eliminating its causes.

H.E. President Hosni Mubarak issued the Presidential Decree No. 90 for the year 2000 for the creation of the National Council for Women, as an autonomous body responsible for the empowerment of the Egyptian women. The creation of the Council comes as a natural consequence of the national and international developments and challenges, and to crown the achievements in favour of Egyptian women during a Century.

The General Secretariat
January 2002