Egypt women call for Million Woman March

[Turborama]

Source: CNN International

By the CNN Wire Staff
March 8, 2011 4:05 a.m. EST

(CNN) -- Egyptian women called for a Million Woman March on Tuesday, International Women's Day, demanding "fair and equal opportunity for all Egyptian citizens -- beyond gender, religion or class."

"We are not after minority rights. We are not after symbolic political representation," they said in a statement on Facebook.

Women were very visible among demonstrators who toppled Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak last month, which feminists called a breakthrough for Egyptian society.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/03/08/egypt.women/

[Skittles]

1. K&R for the Egypt gals

yes INDEED :thumbsup:

[SpiralHawk]

2. Here on Turtle Island, the elders have long said

that it is the sisters who will turn the planetary tide in this time of change. K and R and a candle flame for our Egyptian sisters...

[marasinghe]

24. agree. to paraphrase John Denver: "by the hand & by the heart .. they will lead us to be free". n/t

[TBF]

3. K&R for the women of Egypt nt

[Butch350]

4. You Go Girls!!!!!!!!

[lunatica]

5. Yeah! Girl power!

[myrna minx]

6. Excellent. K&R n/t

[meow2u3]

7. K&R

More power to youse, sisters! :kick:

[ensho]

8. here is a nice pic - never mind, it wouldn't copy

http://english.aljazeera.net/mritems/imagecache/218/330/mritems/Images/2011/3/8/2011381419142848

[genna]

9. Catchy title. I hope you ladies have an agenda you plan to push through

Marching without a plan is politically meaningless. Marching with a plan will place these ladies heads and above what their American counterparts did with their marches. I wish we had thought about what we wanted before we marched.

[Turborama]

10. Al Jazeera English have a good article covering that very topic

As it's well worth reading in full, rather than pick any particular excerpts, here's the whole thing: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/03/201138133425420552.html

[Kurovski]

11. And they'll get a million, too.

:kick:

[Kurovski]

21. Uch, they didn't. Men were shouting for them to "go home"

But apparently some good discussions followed.

A long way to go for women's rights in Egypt, even after the strong role women played in the revolution.

[Uncle Joe]

12. Kicked and recommended for the women of Egypt.

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.

[Lars77]

13. My guess on what Wolf Blitzer will say:

Are these women the new face of Al Qaeda? Is the terrorist organization planning to strike at Israel and America using female suicide bombers? We will ask the best political team on television after we show you these ads from medical corporations.

[xxqqqzme]

15. Wolfie's still on TV?

I figured the Coop-ster had replaced him.



What do I know?

[Guilded Lilly]

14. I hope I hope I hope...they get two million!

[zanana1]

16. What are the men so afraid of?

We've been going through our own liberation movement in this country and though men won't come out and say it, there's alot of fear there. I wish Egyptian women all the best. We know it takes time. Thirty years ago, the idea of a woman in the White House would be considered laughable. Not any more. I'd say it takes a generation or two for the fear to subside.

[Turborama]

17. "Even the conservative discourse of the Muslim Brotherhood is now talking about including women"

Meanwhile, women's rights activist Hala Kamal is calling on people to look through the lens of Egypt's own history and reflect on the 1919 Egyptian uprising, which was characterised by the wide and unusual participation of women.

"The outcome of that uprising was incredible progress for women. It led to the establishment of the Egyptian Women Union in the 1920s and the pressure of new women movements increased through out the 1930s and 40s. So I am very optimistic that this revolution which, unlike the 1919 revolution, already includes well-established women's rights organisations, will be positive for women's rights."

She also argues that women's participation in building the future of Egypt has already started widening.

"Even the conservative discourse of the Muslim Brotherhood is now talking about including women in their Consultative Council. Keep in mind that I am talking about the most conservative party in Egypt."

From this article: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/03/201138133425420552.html

[zanana1]

25. My heart is with them.

They are showing such courage and determination, not only for themselves, but for their children. If you pray, please say a prayer for them today.

[No Elephants]

18. At 4:05 a.m. ESTon March 8, 2011, a call for a million woman march later the same day goes out?

Who do they think I am? An Egyptian?

[No Elephants]

19. Story at link in OP updated sadly. New headline and 4 paras:

Egypt's Million Woman March fizzles into shouting matchesBy the CNN Wire Staff
March 8, 2011 11:21 a.m. EST

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Several hundred people showed up for a pro-women demonstration in a major Cairo square on Tuesday -- including some men who chanted anti-feminist slogans.

Egyptian activists had called for a Million Woman March on Tuesday, demanding "fair and equal opportunity for all Egyptian citizens -- beyond gender, religion or class."

But the turnout appeared to be no more than than 1,000, and the event quickly degenerated into shouting matches between the two sides.

"Men are men and women are women and that will never change and go home, that's where you belong," some of the anti-feminist demonstrators chanted.



http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/03/08/egypt.women/

[riderinthestorm]

22. I saw the update before I saw this initial OP. What a shame, I'd have loved to see 1 million. nt

[zanana1]

26. We had some false starts in our movement, too.

Give it a chance. It takes time.

[katty]

20. go ladies!!

[heliarc]

23. Right on Sistas! nt