Will the Women's Seats in Egypt's Elections Represent Real Change?

Beyond the Veil| Egyptians are at the polls today, and Foreign Policy takes a look at the challenges surrounding the new parliamentary quota for women. Muslim Brotherhood candidate Amal Abdel Karim has seen “her office ransacked, her posters down down, her supporters intimidated and threatened, while she reports being put under surveillance herself and summoned repeatedly to court.”

We’ve written positively about parliamentary quota systems for women around the world. In fact, we believe that America needs one, with our pathetic 16% of Congressional seats filled by women.

From the viewpoint of writer Sarah A. Topol. the mandate that women in Egypt will control at least 12 percent of the assembly comes from a dubious intent by Hosni Mubarak’s long-standing National Democratic Party. Read on Egypt’s Pro-Women Election Turns Ugly.

Al Jazeera expresses a view similar to Topol’s in their assessment of women’s roles in the election. Read on Women make leap in Egypt parliament.