Egypt celebrates its own Women's Day
As Egyptian women celebrate the 100-year anniversary of their participation in the first march during the 1919 revolution, the National Council for Women sheds light on their achievements.
CAIRO — March is truly a month for Egyptian women. While the world celebrates International Women's Day on March 8, Egyptian Women's Day falls on March 16, when women took to the streets in the first mass demonstration against British colonialism during the revolution of 1919.
Maya Morsy, the head of the National Council for Women, announced that a special event, "16 days of Egyptian Women: The Origins of the Tale," would kick off March 1 and continue until March 16 to commemorate 100 years of women's political struggle in Egypt.
The event will raise awareness of women's struggle regarding political and social issues through seminars, lectures and artistic presentations in coordination with the Ministry of Culture.
Although 100 years have passed since the revolution of 1919, women still struggle for equality. In parliament, quotas are in place that ensure women's presence, as stipulated in the 2014 constitution. Egyptian women are in need of a long-term strategy to offer empowerment on the political, social and economic levels. The National Council for Women announced such a strategy in 2017, with a vision toward 2030, which has garnered the support of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
