Social Interactions 99means either her father, brother
or uncle re-acquires financial
responsibility for her. The family
also assumes responsibility to
help her get another husband.
Finally, having to leave her
children with the husband acts
as a deterrent to a woman.
In many cases, the children stay with the father after a
certain age, usually eight years old for boys and ten years
old for girls. The mother might or might not be given the
opportunity to see the children again. Most people will tell
you that a woman will still see her children occasionally if
the husband is a ‘good person’.
A 1979 law, which strengthened a Muslim woman’s rights
to divorce and child custody, was repealed in 1985 after it
was found unconstitutional for conflicting with Islamic law.
However, in 2000, a law was passed granting women the right
to divorce their husbands on the grounds of “incompatibility”
or “no fault”.
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM)
Female genital mutilation (also called female circumcision)
persists in Egypt today. International health organisations
widely condemn the practice, citing its long-lasting physical
and psychological damage. In July 1996, following the death
of an 11-year-old girl from haemorrhaging, the Minister
of Health and Population issued a decree calling for the
end of the practice of FGM. Also, the decree called for
a prohibition of performing the practice by non-medical
and medical practitioners. The exact prevalence of FGM is
unclear, but both government and private sources suggest
that the practice is common throughout Egypt. It is done to
young girls (usually between the ages of seven and ten years
old). Best estimates suggest that the procedure is equally
prevalent in Coptic and Muslim populations.
Currently, the government broadcasts bulletins
condemning the practice. Numerous non-governmental
organisations also attempt to curtail the practice by actively
Rising Divorce Rates
In spite of the many reasons not
to divorce, the Egyptian divorce
rate has risen signifi cantly over
the past few decades. No
specifi c fi gures are available,
but most people agree that it is
more common now than it was
in the past.