24

- Economic reform policies and conditions of the rural woman

              Land Center for Human Rights issues its new report No. 24 “social and economic rights series”. The report tries to monitor the features of the current crisis concerning confinement of the global economic activity synchronous with implementation of economic reform policies and the structural adjustment. Most of countries apply these policies wishing to get rid of their internal crises and develop their economy through competition in the global market. Oppositely, these policies weaken the governments’ abilities to provide inhabitants with their basic needs, which leads to more poverty in addition to increasing numbers of families that live under poverty line.

              Moreover, implementation of these policies in many countries leads to increasing food costs, decreasing wages, depriving from land possession and reducing budgets of health, education and nutrition programs that exacerbates burdens of the poor especially women. After implementing these policies for ten years, it is discovered that these policies don’t match with the developmental needs of the society. Several studies emphasize the negative impacts of these policies over the poor conditions especially women because of their inability to achieve sufficient economic resources to improve their living conditions.  

              The Egyptian rural woman conditions are affected by these policies especially after implementation of land law No. 96 of 1992 especially concerning social, economic, educational and health rights. This report tries to review conditions of the Egyptian women after implementation of reform policies focusing on their economic, social, educational and health conditions. Firstly, it reviews the percentage of woman labor in Egypt “15% in 1999”. About woman labor in agriculture in the countryside, it is estimated with 46,8% in 1999, moreover, the report asserts that the public sector decreases work opportunities to 130 thousands yearly. Then, it reviews the health conditions of women revealing conditions of health insurance and health services that the State provides especially in the countryside. It reveals that there is decrease in the public expenditure for health from 5.1% in 1967 to 2% in 1986 then to 1.4% in 1995. The report asserts that there is great difference between man and woman concerning illiteracy and releasing from education through its different stages “primary, preparatory and secondary”. For example, in Ghaiata, about 13.6% in (1995-96) release from education, while in (1998-99) the percentage reaches 14%.    

              Then, the report reviews the field study that LCHR achieves in Wadi Ghaiata, Beni Suief province (Bani Khalil and Gabel E-Nour village). This study concerns with the educational and health conditions, the political role of the woman and the most important problems that the rural woman faces. This part ends with reviewing ten cases from women, who face problems after applying reform policies. The report ends with some recommendations that may contribute in solving conditions of female worker in Egypt. The report asserts that we can’t solve these problems individually but we have to apply alternative policies that improve conditions of farmers by deleting their debts to the bank, providing them with work opportunities and encouraging the civil society…etc.

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