This significant difference in the number of women participating in this year’s election, when compared to the election prior, reflects a real change in society and an increase in the awareness and capacities of women, Sherif said.
He added that the quota system will significantly increase the percentage of women in the parliament, from 1.8 percent in 2005 to at least 13 percent in 2010.
Several female candidates stated that prior to the quota system it was very difficult for women to get into the parliament due to financial and cultural reasons.
Zeinab Radwan, the deputy of the People’s Assembly and an NDP candidate in the northeastern region of Cairo, said that women refrained from running in the parliamentary elections prior to the quota system because they didn’t have the financial capabilities to compete with men.
“I would have never thought about running for the parliament if it wasn’t for the quota system,” said Mariam Mikhail, who is currently running for one of the seats reserved for women. “The men in my district are spending millions of pounds in their electoral campaigns and I can’t compete [against] that.”
Many of the female candidates placed blame on the domestic role expected of women in Egyptian society, which has added to many women’s inability to compete for regular parliamentary seats.
Manal Al Attar, Al-Wafd women’s quota candidate in Helwan, said that men who don’t understand that she isn’t competing against male candidates always ask her, “Why would we leave the men and vote for you?”
Even with the women’s quota system in place, female candidates have stated that society’s perception of women still presents various obstacles.
Kariman El-Attar, an independent women’s quota candidate running in the Sixth of October governorate, had to fight tradition just to be able to run.
