Egyptian women today – between tradition and a shrinking
economy
The role of the great majority of women in Egyptian society today is
by and large still defined primarily by the traditional values of a patriarchal
society. This is certainly true for the great number of women living in villages
all over the country who are primarily occupied in taking care of their house-
holds and raising the children, as well as securing their families’ livelihoods. In
spite of numerous governmental campaigns propagating birth control, which
have been to a certain extent successful, family size in rural areas is still large,
as measured by European standards. Since the methods used in agriculture by
the peasants are labour intensive, additional helpers are always welcome. It
is estimated that about 60 per cent of all Egyptian women are either fellahat
(singular fellaha = peasant woman) or have recently moved from villages to
town. What they can watch on TV, which today is present also in the rural
areas of the Nile valley, has little to do with their own reality. Women in the
villages are exposed to strong social and economic pressure and so far only
a few behavioural changes can be observed among them