However the exclusion of women from the political transition process has meant that the promotion and protection of women’s rights may be left off the agenda.
There is not a single female member on the constitutional drafting committee and none of the newly appointed cabinet ministers are female. Some women's groups are calling on the military council to help establish a special committee to facilitate the full and meaningful participation of women.
The United Nations, recognizing the role that women play at these critical junctures, has set out conditions that should be met to ensure that women are able to participate in political life. These include ensuring that women can freely express their views about politics, join and participate in political parties and activities and have access to information about political processes. When Egypt's elections are held which is likely to be September of this year it will be very important to encourage political parties to have female candidates and to ensure that women who want to run for office can do so without fear of intimidation.
