The majority of the protesters in Egypt’s revolution were women working along with men in an effort to change the countries political views. Now that the Prime Minister has decided to step down activist state the challenge will be to make sure women maintain their involvement as the nation progresses forward. The World Economic Forum ranked Egypt 125 out of 134 countries judging the equality between women and men in part because of the countries 42% illiteracy rate among women and its limited amount of women in the political arena. Another barrier blocking their advance is the widespread practice of gential cuttings happening in Egypt, mainly in the rural areas, and an increasingly large amount of women becoming victims of sexual harrasement, mainly from state officials who often go unpunished. Inspite of these events Egyptians women and men alike are optimistic about they way things are happening stating “things haven’t changed, they are changing” and “we feel this is our country now.” A slow process, but in time with determination and the proper tools, Egyptian women will gain more political attention.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/world/middleeast/06cairo.html?pagewanted=1&sq=female genitial cutting&st=cse&scp=1