In the aftermath of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood’s rejection of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), an avalanche of articles depicting the Brotherhood’s statement within the framework of “Islamists vs. Liberals” ensued. When it comes to critiquing Muslim Brotherhood policies on women, many liberals make the mistake of limiting their scope to the discussion of personal and sexual freedoms, without considering the manner in which the economic configuration of the Egyptian system affects the social rights of women.
In this article, I attempt to explain how rejection of CEDAW and the neglect of Egyptian women’s rights can more generally be traced to neoliberal governance.
