Page 157 - April Issue
P. 157
mama me-time
were staying at home, watching strength to offer. They were with the liberation of an entire
history unfold. There is no bringing food, caring for the nation and social revolution.
shame in being afraid to face injured. They were carrying They started walking in the
violence, tear gas and fights. out ID checks, searching bags, streets they grew up in as
Many women are mothers, to ensure the safety of the if they had never walked
and they need to be there for demonstrators. They helped there before. Something
their children, protecting them. catching thugs, denouncing has changed. The world is
However, some women felt it the government’s attempts to positive. Women of Egypt
was also their duties to fight for tarnish the reputation of the have forgotten their fears,
their rights, for the rights of the protesters. Women, for the first and they are ready to claim
Egyptian people, for the rights time with such determination, their dreams and ambitions
of their children growing up. were heard leading crowds, back. Women, considered
Like this woman who said: “If I chanting in megaphones, men second-class citizens for
was not pregnant, I would have repeating their slogans. decades in Egypt, have found
just stayed home. I went out unexpected equality during
because of my baby. I owe this Words spread that women the demonstrations against
to him. were even more targeted President Mubarak. More
during the protests, threatened than a political revolution,
Women were present by violence, rape and abuse. for the women of Egypt, it is
on many fronts, both in the But the stories we hear from a Revolution in how they are
protests themselves, but also the women themselves show a perceived and treated.
on the internet and other very different picture. During
media. Asmaa Mahfouz is a past demonstrations and large mother, baby & child April 2011
young Egyptian activist who has public gatherings, women were
actively participated on raising regularly attacked, abused,
awareness and promoting sexually and verbally. And
the uprising on her blog. In men never seemed to make
several videos posted on the a distinction between veiled
internet before the revolution and uncovered women. But
started, she encouraged not this time. They felt that the
men and women to join her revolution brought the people
on Tahrir Square. She clearly together, regardless of gender,
defended the right for women religion, social background…
to protest. Another important Men saw strong women in the
internet activist is Israa Abdel streets, women who could
Fatah, who was arrested in take care of themselves and
2008 for her resistance against express their frustrations. Sexual
corruption and injustice in harassment has for a long time
her country. Both on the been a real problem in Egypt,
internet and in the streets, she but in the streets, women felt
reappeared during the 2011 like men’s equals, they were
protests, feeding information to not intimated, and they felt the
the international media. respect of men.
Even mothers, together with
their children, were seen in the Women in Egypt took to
streets. Maybe their presence the streets not to fight for
helped in keeping the overall women’s liberation. As women
protests peaceful. Often at and mothers, they wanted
night, women would go back to create better lives for
to their homes, but during themselves and their families.
the day, their contribution They were thinking about the
was invaluable. Organising, future, and believing that their
reporting the events, women actions today were going to
had more than physical change their world forever.
Women’s liberation comes
157
