Legal framework
* The Egyptian constitution guarantees equal rights for all citizens, regardless of gender.
* Several laws protect women from violence, including sexual harassment, domestic violence, and female genital mutilation (FGM). However, implementation of these laws has been weak.
* Personal status laws, which are based on sharia law, discriminate against women in matters such as marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance.
Education
* Girls have equal access to education at all levels. However, the quality of education for girls lags behind that for boys in some areas.
* Cultural barriers sometimes prevent girls from attending school, especially in rural areas.
Employment
* Women's participation in the labor force has been increasing in recent years, but it remains significantly lower than men's.
* Women are concentrated in low-paying occupations and face several barriers to employment, such as lack of childcare and societal discrimination.
Political participation
* Women are underrepresented in political life in Egypt.
* Although there have been gains in recent years, women hold only a small minority of seats in parliament and local government.
* Cultural barriers and discrimination continue to limit women's political participation.
Violence against women
* Gender-based violence is a significant problem in Egypt.
* According to a 2015 survey, 99% of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment.
* The government has taken some steps to address violence against women, but it remains a pervasive problem.
Egypt and international conventions on women's rights
* Egypt has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), but it has not yet incorporated all of the CEDAW provisions into its domestic law.
* Egypt also ratified the Optional Protocol to CEDAW, which allows individual women to submit complaints to the CEDAW Committee alleging violations of their rights.
Challenges ahead
* Despite the progress that has been made, gender inequality remains a significant problem in Egypt.
* Cultural barriers, societal discrimination, and legal inequality all contribute to the challenges women face daily in Egyptian society.
* However, Egypt is continuing its effort to strengthen women's rights, and there is hope that things will improve for women in the country in the coming years.
