Arab Republic of Egypt

Arab Republic of Egypt TOPIC A: Gender Violence Traditional gender roles in Egypt are prevalent and clearly defined. These roles are largely associated with traditional Islamic family structures, wherein women's roles are closely tied to the domestic sphere and men's roles tied to the public sphere. Gender roles are based on assumed biological differences between the sexes and can lead to dramatically different life experiences as well as opportunities and outcomes for individuals. Consequently, when looking at a number of indicators, women often find themselves disadvantaged relative to men. In 2011, the UNDP's Gender Inequality Index (GII) rated Egypt 126th out of 148 countries, with an overall value of 0.59, where 1.0 is a perfect score. These indicators suggest strong gender-based disparities in areas of reproductive health, economic functioning, and overall empowerment. Reasons for inequalities are numerous; social norms and attitudes, economic pressures, religious beliefs, and structural forces all help maintain the status quo. The role of women in Egypt has changed throughout history, from ancient to modern times. From the earliest preserved archaeological records, Egyptian women have been thought to be considered nearly equal to men in Egyptian society, regardless of marital status. Currently, the state of women's rights in Egypt is extremely poor, with female genital mutilation, honor killings and sexual harassment remaining serious issues faced by Egyptian women. In 2013, Egypt was ranked as the worst country in the Arab World for women. To limit women's contact with men as tradition, practices such as veiling and gender segregation at schools, work, and recreation have become common. Furthermore, lower-class families, especially in Upper-Egypt, have tended to withdraw females from school as they reached puberty to minimize their interaction with males. Lower-class men frequently preferred marriage to women who had been secluded rather than to those who had worked or attended secondary school. The rule of Gamal Abdul Nasser was characterized by his policy of stridently advocating women's rights through welfare-state policies, labeled as state feminism. Women were guaranteed the right to vote and equality of opportunity was explicitly stated in the 1956 Egyptian constitution, forbidding gender-based discrimination. Egypt repealed a law in 1999 that allowed rapists to avoid criminal prosecution if they married their victims. Others labor laws were changed to ensure women's standing in the work force and maternity leave was legally protected. At the same time, the state repressed independent feminist organizations, leaving a dearth of female political representation A 2010 Pew Research Center poll showed that 45% of Egyptian men and 76% of women supported gender equality. The same poll showed that, in principle, people tend to accept a woman's right to work outside the home, with 61% of the respondents agreeing that "women should be able to work outside the home", but at the same time showing some reservations, with only 11% of men and 36% of women completely agreeing with that statement; and 75% agreeing that "when jobs are scarce, men should have more right to a job". Polls taken in 2010 and 2011 show that 39% considered gender equality "very important" to Egypt's future post-revolution and 54% of Egyptians supported sex segregation in the workplace. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread in Egypt, with a majority of women having undergone some version of the procedure, although the practice is less common among the youth. The practice is deeply engrained in the culture and predates both Christianity and Islam. Its main purpose is to preserve chastity, though its social function is very complicated. FGM was banned in 2008, but enforcement of the law was weak. In 2016 they tighten the law and now it's a felony. Using a model recommended by the UN, Egypt found that gender-based violence is costing the country's ailing economy around 2.17 billion Egyptian pounds ($123 million) a year. Decades of activism by local women's rights groups have started to result in policy reforms, however the pace of change remains slow. ___________________________________________________________________ PERMANENT MISSION OF EGYPT TO THE UNITED NATIONS TOPIC B: Racism and Xenophobia in the Context of the Migration Crisis Egypt is host to a diverse population of refugees and asylum seekers comprising more than 30 different nationalities. Larger populations come from countries such as Sudan, Somalia, and Iraq with growing numbers from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Refugees and migrants from these countries have been the targets of racist violence and harassment. There is no official data collection or reporting system concerning xenophobic or bias-motivated crime in Egypt making it difficult to assess the extent of such crime in Egypt. However, human rights and refugee protection organizations have reported that xenophobic and racist harassment and violence against refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants is prevalent. One researcher reported that refugees and migrants, especially those from non-Arab countries experience racism and xenophobia on a day-to-day basis. Discrimination ranges from harassment on the streets to extortion from landlords to poor treatment at hospitals as well as violent attacks. There are recent reports stating that refugees living the Cairo have faced more discrimination and less help from the authorities since President Hosni Mubarak’s removal from power. In a 2008 Human Rights Watch study that included interviews with several Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers, many reported being subjected to racist violence and abuse by local Egyptians. Such abuse ranged from acts of verbal abuse to physical assaults. Of those who sought protection from the police, many reported being met with little or no assistance. In light of racist and xenophobic sentiments in the country, violence against African migrants in the Sinai region is particularly concerning. Over the past few years, Egyptian border guards have reportedly killed at least 85 people trying to cross the border into Israel, including some who appear to have been seeking asylum. Egyptian authorities have also been criticized for failing to prosecute traffickers who were kidnapping, detaining and torturing African refugees and migrants — holding them hostage for ransom and in some cases harvesting their organs. According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), Black African immigrants to Egypt often face physical violence and verbal abuse at the hands of the general public and law enforcement officials. Refugees from Sudan are especially targeted, with racial slurs like "oonga boonga" and "samara" (meaning "black") constituting the most typical insults. The EIPR attributes the violence and abuse to both a lack of government efforts at disseminating information, raising awareness and dispelling myths with regard to the economic contributions made by the newcomers, and stereotyping on the part of the Egyptian media. Black women are also targets of sexual harassment. As a remedy, the EIPR recommends that the Egyptian government should intensify and accelerate efforts to combat racist xenophobic views towards migrant workers, especially those of Black African origin, and to promote awareness of their positive contribution to society. The government should train all personnel working in the field of criminal justice and law enforcement officials in the spirit of respect for human rights and non-discrimination on ethnic or racial grounds. ___________________________________________________________________ PERMANENT MISSION OF EGYPT TO THE UNITED NATIONS .

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