“The reality is much scarier than anything we portray on screen,” Egyptian actress and cultural icon Yousra said during a panel discussion titled “Balancing the Scales” on the occasion of International Women’s Day at the Australian Ambassador’s Residence on Tuesday, April 14.
“We impose our own form of censorship as artists, but the truth is harsher and darker than we can imagine.”
The actress was referring to her work in films and series such as: An opinion issue (Public Opinion Issue, 2007) and Eid night (Eid night2024)They both confronted social issues for women, especially taboo topics such as sexual violence, and the ways they are received within Egyptian society.
While cinema operated within specific censorship boundaries, the committee presented a clearer, unfiltered reality. She transcends the polished narratives and unreliable characters, revealing the persistent challenges women still face.
Managed by Soraya Bahjatthe discussion emerged Randa Abu Al-AzmBureau Chief of Al Arabiya News Channel in Cairo; Nihad Abu Al-QumsanPresident of the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights; and Amal FahmyDirector General of the Tadween Center for Gender Studies.
This event occurred at a particularly sensitive moment, shortly after the tragic Alexandria Incident incident A divorced mother died after falling from a building, leaving a final plea to the community to take care of her two children.
It also followed Directions From President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Parliament to amend the Egyptian Personal Status Law and establish the Family Support Fund. These proposed changes seek to address the shortcomings of the current system and introduce broader reforms related to divorce, alimony and child custody.
Abu Al-Qumsan said: “Unfortunately, the fabricated statistics and narratives are a reality. They affect not only public opinion, but even decision-makers and, sometimes, members of Parliament.”
In light of the proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law, they have occurred Discussions The narratives center around the fact that the woman is often the one who initiates the divorce through him Take offIt is a procedure based on traditional jurisprudence that allows Muslim women to seek divorce by waiving their rights. However, according to Abu Al-Qumsan, these accounts are not based on facts.
“It is often said that 80% of divorces in Egypt are final Take off. In fact, 96% of divorces are done by men, while only 4% of divorces are done by women, and these women often endure long legal procedures.”
“Women resort to Take off She added: “Because it is faster, even though they give up all their financial rights to escape the cycle of violence. If there was effective and accessible justice, the women would have resorted to divorce through the courts and obtained alimony. But many choose to give up everything in order to leave abusive situations quickly.”
On average a Take off The condition takes about four months. Abu Al-Qumsan explained that in some cases the problem can be resolved within 40 to 60 days, and at the most it may take up to six months. In contrast, seeking a divorce that preserves women’s rights may take two to three years, because it requires multiple investigations, evidence, and legal procedures.
Even after a divorce is granted, a woman must continue to fight for her rights through further legal battles, which can extend the process to four years or more.
Abu Al-Qumsan said that helping women overcome these legal battles requires more than just issuing new laws; Many of them have already been introduced over the years. She stressed that what is really key is the presence of institutions that effectively support women.
“If we cannot provide a simple answer to a very simple question, such as when a woman faces violence and asks: ‘What should I do? Who can I contact? Where should I go? “Then we actually do nothing,” Abu Al-Qumsan said.
Access to justice is crucial for women in Egypt, especially in personal status and family-related disputes remains It is hampered by a set of persistent barriers. Legal proceedings can be expensive and time-consuming, often requiring multiple court appearances and difficult to manage alongside work and caregiving responsibilities.
Many women too loss Clear information about their legal rights or the procedures needed to claim them, which can discourage them from seeking justice altogether.
“We must continue to work to answer this simple question for women: What should I do? Where should I go? Who should I call?” Abu Al-Qumsan said.
Currently, organizations such as Egyptian Women’s Legal Aid Center and Egyptian Center for Women’s RightsAlong with institutions such as the National Council for Women, it provides specialized legal aid offices within family courts.
research Run UN Women found that the vast majority of women in Egypt have experienced some form of sexual harassment in their lives, with numbers reaching more than 90 percent in some studies. Other reports and similar national data Pointing Sexual violence and harassment remain widespread and often go unreported due to stigma, fear and lack of trust in reporting mechanisms.
