Egypt: Stop the lowering of the minimum age of marriage for girls
in Egypt
Urgent Alert: May 2012
Egypt’s People’s Assembly Council is currently discussing legislation that would reduce the
minimum age of marriage for girls from 18 to possibly as low as 9 years old and could vote on
the final draft bill at any moment. If adopted, girls could be married off by their families without
their consent putting them at risk of physical and psychological harm, as well as cutting short
other life opportunities, such as pursuing their education. Such measures make Egyptian women,
including the umbrella organization Alliance for Egyptian Women, fearful that their rights are
being rapidly eroded post-revolution.
In an emerging pattern of challenges to women’s equality during the past year, Egyptian women
are extremely concerned that the new government is prioritizing legislation that undermines and
restricts women’s and girls’ rights. For example, draft legislation has also been introduced
limiting a mother’s custody of her children upon divorce. In addition, a prominent MP of a
conservative party has reportedly denounced the 2008 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM),
stating that women should have the right to choose to undergo FGM. FGM is a harmful practice
and a human rights abuse. According to UNICEF, FGM in Egypt is usually carried out on girls
between the ages of 9 and 12. Therefore, the MP’s comment also ignores the fact that girls
typically are unable to exercise their right to choose. Activists in Egypt, both women and men,
have sent a statement to the Parliament highlighting the inconsistency of these proposed
legislative changes with the principles of the revolution, which include dignity, justice and
freedom.
The current Egyptian Constitution states that, "All citizens are equal before the law. They have
equal public rights and duties without discrimination due to sex…." Egypt is also a party to a
number of international human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC), which considers minors to be those under 18 years of age and the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Both the UN’s
Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women, which oversee the implementation of these conventions, have strongly
recommended that States increase the age of marriage to 18 years for both girls and boys.
Article 16(2) of CEDAW clearly states that, “The betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have
no legal effect…” To continue to comply with and implement its obligations under the CRC,
CEDAW and other human rights standards, Egypt must not promote discriminatory legislation,
such as the reduction of the minimum age of marriage for girls.
What you can do
Please urge the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the Speaker of the People’s
Assembly Council, and the President of the Shura Council to stop the proposed changes to the
age of marriage law and the custody on divorce law. Remind the authorities that they have legal
obligations both under the Egyptian Constitution to uphold gender equality and under human
rights instruments, including the CRC and CEDAW, to reject any amendments that would
undermine the rights of girls and women.
Letters should go to:



Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, 11
Al’ourubah Street, Cairo, Egypt / Fax: +202-241-83761, E-mail: [email protected]
(note: some emails have not been going through to this address; online signatures will be
collected and faxed.)
Dr. Mohamed Said El Katatni, Speaker of the People’s Assembly Council, Majles El
Shab St.1, Cairo, Egypt / Fax 002-227921040
Mr. Ahmad Fahmy, President of the Shura Council, Kasr Al Aini Street- Cairo, Egypt /
Fax: 002-227941980