UN Authority Figures

UN Commission on the Status of Women: Egypt

87% of females in Egypt aged 15 to 49 underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) from 2004-2015. According to a study by UNICEF, Egypt ranked sixth among countries that practice FGM worldwide.
Source: Daily News Egypt, February 7, 2016

Mission of the Commission on the Status of Women: "The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women... The CSW is instrumental in promoting women's rights, documenting the reality of women's lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women." (Commission on the Status of Women website, "Overview")

Term of office: 2015-2018 (Vice-Chair 2016)

Egypt's Record on Women's rights:
"Other human rights problems included... harassment of and societal discrimination against women and girls; child abuse, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C);...Rape and Domestic Violence: The law prohibits rape, although the legal definition of rape covers only forced penetration of the female sexual organ by the male sexual organ, prescribing criminal penalties of 15 to 25 years' imprisonment or life imprisonment for cases of rape involving armed abduction. The government did not effectively enforce the law. Civil society organizations reported police pressure not to pursue charges and fear of societal reprisal actively discouraged women from going to police stations to report crimes, resulting in a very small number of cases being investigated or effectively prosecuted. Spousal rape is not illegal. According to the Ministry of Interior, approximately 20,000 cases of rape were reported each year. Women's rights groups estimated that fewer than 100 were prosecuted. NGOs estimated the prevalence of rape was several times higher than the rate reported by the government. There was public sexual assault, including gang rape, with some rights groups reporting an increase, especially during political protests. Rights organizations documented at least nine cases of "mob sexual assaults and gang rapes" during the June 8 Tahrir Square celebrations for the inauguration of President Sisi... The law does not prohibit domestic violence or spousal abuse...The law requires an assault victim produce multiple eyewitnesses, a difficult condition for domestic abuse victims, making prosecutions extremely rare. NGOs reported police often treated domestic violence as a social rather than criminal matter... 81 percent of men believed they had the right to beat their wives and daughters... The law does not specifically address 'honor' crimes, which are treated as any other crime. There were no reliable statistics regarding the incidence of killings and assaults motivated by 'honor,' but observers said such killings occurred, particularly in rural areas... Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) ... remained a significant problem ... 81 percent of females--Muslims and Christians alike--had undergone FGM/C by age 19... Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment remained a serious problem... 99 percent of women and girls in the Egyptian sample reported they had experienced some form of sexual harassment... Discrimination: Women continued to face widespread societal discrimination, threats to their physical security, and workplace bias in favor of men that hindered their social and economic advancement..." (US State Department's Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2014, Egypt)

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