For active participation: The National Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms organizes its first conference In Luxor to support women in the localities

Under the slogan “For the effective participation of women” and within the framework of the project to support women’s participation in the localities, the National Society for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms concluded the activities of its first conference, which was held in Luxor Governorate over the period of 8-9 April last, with the participation of more than 95 participants and participants from Civil society activists and those interested in working on women’s issues, and a group of prominent leaders and members of civil society attended.
The conference dealt with several different axes, the first of which focused on the role of civil society to support women in the localities and the role of the Ministry of Solidarity and its achievement in supporting the role of women and providing them with full support so that they can stand for local elections, as well as the role of the National Council for Women and the cooperation between it and civil institutions Others, such as the African Union Center for Women in Luxor and the Anna Al Masry Association, work to empower women in public work, especially in Upper Egypt in general. The problems facing women and their obstruction from running for elections were presented and an attempt to address them was made. Many recommendations were concluded, the most important of which was the need for concerted efforts between all popular and executive institutions to work according to a unified vision of women’s issues, especially the breadwinner woman; As well as the expansion of rehabilitation and training programs for women, with setting specific and clear criteria for the conditions and controls related to participation, with openness to all participation institutions and bodies to ensure broad representation of women. The second axis dealt with the role of political parties to support and empower women in localities, with the participation of a number of prominent political leaders such as Hilal Al-Dandarawi, Vice President of the Tagammu Party, and Dr. Hani Nader.. Secretary of the Protectors of the Homeland Party in Luxor, Sayed Al-Badri.. Secretary of the Tagammu Party in Luxor, and Karim Nasr El-Din Bakhit.. Secretary of the Liberal Party in Luxor, where each of them presented his party’s activity in support of women and the problems they face. Among the fruits of these presentations and discussions with the attendees, were to shed light on the real problems that weaken the role of women within the parties, and many recommendations came out, the most important of which was empowering women in political parties and supporting their opportunities to occupy leadership positions within the parties and not limiting them to specific secretariats for women Only, as well as expanding the training and qualification programs for women members of political parties and organizations with regard to public participation and the political structures of forces and parties, and even more than that, calling on political parties and coalitions to expand the base of selection and nomination for women to reach the best and most efficient models and to enable them to occupy advanced positions in the lists. As for the third axis, it was about the role of the media in supporting Egyptian women’s issues by applying to local elections as a model, with the participation of a group of media professionals such as Muhammad Abul-Magd.. Head of the Media Sector in the South, Asmaa Manna.. Director of the Media Center in Luxor, and Jihan Abdel Dayem..media In Taiba Channel and On TV, and Mahmoud Negm.. Director of the Nile Media Center in Luxor, and after a discussion among all the attendees, this axis came out with many recommendations, the most important of which was inviting the media and newspapers to adopt a media policy that supports and stimulates the participation of women, as well as expanding In publishing and highlighting the pages and female personalities who have pioneering experiences in the Egyptian situation through various media. The conference concluded with the fourth axis, which revolved around his reading of the local administration law, which is now being discussed in the People’s Assembly headed by Ihab Salam.. Lawyer and legal expert, Samir Hegazy.. President of the Specific Federation of Societies in Luxor, and Muhammad al-Malawani.. Former Secretary General of the governorate, Gamal Abdel Al-Sadiq, a former local council member and Ahmed Abdo Al-Mahdi, the lawyer, where the legal articles discussed in the People’s Assembly were presented, their compatibility, the electoral environment in the governorates, the role of women in them, and their ability to deal with the upcoming local elections. This axis came out with many recommendations, the most important of which was reading the local reality and drawing a comprehensive map of women’s needs at all levels to ensure access to services for the target groups and create a positive culture supportive of women’s access to senior leadership positions, with the development of a political code of honor for the rules and regulations of electoral campaigns with regard to nomination and propaganda Women and dealing with them, and looking into legislation and laws that hinder and restrict the participation of women or that carry qualitative and professional discrimination against women. It is worth noting that all the recommendations that came out of the conference will be directed to the targets of each axis and work to follow up the implementation of these recommendations with them to overcome the main problem that aims to implement the project, which is the weak participation of women in the localities, which was the work of the National Association for the Defense of Rights and freedoms to be worked on based on the initiative of the President of the Republic that the year 2017 is the year of the Egyptian woman.
This conference came as a launch for the National Society for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms, in partnership with a number of civil society organizations, including local ones such as the CEDAW Center for Democracy and Human Rights, and international ones such as the Mediterranean Women Foundation and other institutions that support the role of women in society, and it was chaired by Professor / Walid Farouk. Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms, with the participation of Abdel Nasser Qandil as the rapporteur of the conference, Ahmed Obaid, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Solidarity in Luxor, Suad Saad.. Secretary-General of the National Council for Women in Luxor, and Hilal El-Dandarawy.. Former member of the People’s Assembly and President of the Union Workers in Aswan and the leader of the assembly party.