Egypt: Increasing Desire for Reform?

In Egypt the public desire for reform seems to be on the rise.  The upcoming elections are one sign of how Egyptians are becoming excited by the prospect of change, as evinced by an article in Al-Masry Al-Youm, which highlights the growing “mania” surrounding the possible presidential candidacy of Mohamed ElBaradei.  According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, the public support for ElBaradei is “running wild,” and is only gaining in potency from outlets such as Youtube, Facebook, and an unofficial campaign website.  Though El Baradei is viewed by many to be the greatest competition for incumbent President Hosni Mubarak, as of today his candidacy remains unannounced and unconfirmed, and Egyptian law poses many obstacles to any independent candidacy.

In addition, Sarah A. Topol in The Christian Science Monitor examines a four-month-old radio broadcast targeting the stigma associated with divorce.  She discusses Mahasen Saber’s experiences with divorce in Egypt and the steps that she has taken to provide a network of support for women facing the same issues. Ms. Saber comments, “Here in Egyptian society, the woman is looked upon as if she is the one who made a big mistake getting a divorce from her husband. She’s always at fault.” The article reports that while the radio show is aimed at women, some men are also taking a prominent roll.  One male doctor discusses raising children as a divorced parent, while a divorced man discusses the process and its aftermath from his perspective.

While many perceive such reforms as a positive step for Egypt, others take an opposing view.  Opponents of the divorce statute for women object that the legal reforms are drastically increasing the number of divorces in Egypt.  Yasser Shehad comments, “This law increases the rates of divorce and allows women to do whatever they want. Marriage is love and happiness and a family unit. Breaking up the families – that’s a big problem. What else is bigger than breaking up the family?”