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Knowledge and empowerment are the basis of women's political participation

On 14/5/2009, the Land Center for Human Rights held a symposium at Al Ashrak village on the participation of women in local councils and the People's Assembly elections. The meeting was attended by 40 female workers from the agriculture sector and some female employees from different governmental bodies.
The meeting discussed the importance of political participation for women to achieve democracy and the importance of arming women with knowledge to enable them to fulfill their role. The meeting also discussed the concept of citizenship and the need to include the application of the full equality of citizenship between citizens.
At the second session, the meeting discussed the history of political participation in Egypt and the role of women since 1891 until the issuance of the constitution in 1971 and its different amendments. Then the meeting discussed the legal reality and actual political participation.
The meeting ended with the need for concerted efforts of the people and the members of the local councils and NGOs to improve the picture of women in the society, and raise the public awareness about the need to strengthen women's role in political participation, and emphasized the need for the LCHR to coordinate such efforts to ensure the continued success and to obtain all the rights of women to equality, safety and freedom.