Seven human and women rights organizations sent a letter to President Adly Mansour, Wednesday, containing recommendation on the representation of women in parliament.
The organizations relied on article 11 of the newly adopted constitution to lay out their demands; which stipulates that the state shall endeavor to take measures to ensure an adequate representation of women in parliamentary assemblies.
The letter included several recommendations aiming to empower women to participate in politics, public work and decision making.
Parliamentary elections should be held using the system of closed electoral lists formed by parties, coalitions or groups of independent candidates, the recommendations said, adding that each list should contain an equal number of men and women.
Moreover, a quota should be allocated to the electoral districts within the system of electoral lists, so that no sex prevails over the other within particular constituencies.
If this system is applied to a third the parliamentary seats, women will represent one-sixth of the members of parliament, the organizations said, adding that this is the smallest acceptable number for the representation of women, particularly in a post-revolution parliament.
“We hope that the closed electoral list is applied to half of the parliamentary seats. It is the best system for a democratic, inclusive experiment, especially for parties that are new to the political process in Egypt,” the organizations said.
Nazra for Femenist Studies, El-Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the New Woman Foundation, the Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement, the Women and Memory Forum and Center for the Egyptian Women Legal Assistance signed the letter.
