“In one of our field visits we visited a family in a very poor area and the daughter had a very bad cough and fever. So we asked the mother why she wasn’t taking her to the doctor, the mother said she only had limited savings that she is keeping in case their boy gets sick so they are able to take him to the doctor. Imagine how this girl will grow up feeling about herself and how she will raise her kids to be,” recounts Nadeen Gamil, media spokesperson for the Egyptian Women’s Union.

It is that sort of destructive attitude towards women that Gamil and her colleagues at the Egyptian Women’s Union are trying to eradicate. “We empower the minds before money, motivation or guidance,” says Gamil.

Guided by the union’s godmother, Nawal El Saadawy, the team of 10 founders and 10,000 volunteers on board are trying to change women’s attitude towards themselves and empower them mentally as a crucial step in the fight for women’s rights.

“To us, women’s rights aren’t taken from them as much as they are given up gladly, women simply give up their rights,” says Gamil. “Mothers differentiate between sisters and brothers in raising them so the girl grows up thinking she has to depend on someone and that she’s weak, she depends on her father or brother until she gets married and then depends on her husband. The idea of independence is non-existent.”

So while other movements and unions focus their activities on concrete things like amending laws and ensuring a woman’s quota in the parliament, the union works on making women want to join the parliament and fight for her own rights rather than believe her inferiority and helplessness. “We are trying to change women’s own attitudes towards themselves so when they look in the mirror they see someone who is smart and capable and believes in herself as opposed to seeing nothing but a womb whose sole role in life is being an incubator and getting married to do so and if she doesn’t marry then her life is wasted,” explains Gamil.

The idea of the union came after former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down in February 2011. With the wave of change, hope and revolutionary spirit sweeping the country, pioneering feminist Saadawy put together a group of young men and women she knew had a passion for women’s rights to form the union, which she advises but isn’t a formal member of. The union works on raising awareness about gender inequality within the segment of youth; the key for a better future, they believe.

Their research and surveys have led them to believe the issue is bigger than it seems. “A big percentage of the population believes men and women are unequal and that men are emotionally, physically and intellectually stronger although we are supposed to be all equal in one way or another,” says Gamil. “Of course young women are the mothers of tomorrow and they’re going to raise kids to believe that too.”

The Activities

Their online activities are confined to information activism to spark a light in people’s minds and point out that this attitude is wrong and a change needs to happen. “We use our media and social media channels to poke the minds, tell people this is wrong; gender inequality and being raised to believe women and men are unequal and have specific rolls they’ve been created to perform is wrong,” says Gamil.

Offline, they are collaborating with Goethe Institut offering a diploma on women’s rights and gender equality. The course is open for anyone to join and is offered for free for both men and women and is promoted for mainly in collaboration with universities.

They are also working on a short film to document different kinds of violence against women, ranging from rape and sexual assault to physical and emotional abuse to highlight how this affects the future of the country. “The film is being made in-house because we have a committed and experienced staff to handle it,” adds Gamil.

Gamil believes it is crucial to train both men and women to change society’s attitude because both sexes are responsible for raising children who believe in gender equality. “If you live in a family who tells you you’re nothing and that cooking is your sole role then you grow up believing so, if you had the freedom to choose and chose this role then hats off to you, but it is often imposed upon you by your family and society,” she explains.

With limited funds, the union is currently trying to fundraise enough money to be able to take their activities across Egypt later in 2013. “If you take a closer look at the Female Genital Mutilation (FMG), we can see that the 90 percent rate is more concentrated in rural areas so it is crucial that we tackle those areas where gender inequality is higher than in urban cities,” she says.

Since their formation, they have joined and organized various marches, including the latest March 8th march commemorating International Women’s Day where they marched with their mouths shut as a sign of oppression.

The Team

Gamil comes from a management background, she is 21 and lives with her mother as her parents were separated years ago. “I have seen things happening in my family and when you’re a kid you always wonder and ask why and you grow up with answers that leave you unsatisfied,” recounts Gamil. “The idea of being oppressed and incapable, running around in a circle someone else has drawn for you and being forced not to step outside it is unbearable to me. The notion that I have to go back to someone for every decision I make because I am a girl was disastrous to me, so I wanted to join an organisation that works on specifically this.”

Gamil is joined by a team of four young women and five men who come from various backgrounds and expertise. The eldest of their team is in his mid forties, followed by a 30-year-old, together, the young team have divided up roles to fit each one’s expertise.

“We were all personal contacts to Saadawy and she brought us together because she knew that we were all interested in women’s rights and it wasn’t about experience or education but it was rather about our passion and shared vision wanting to have a fair society,” concludes Gamil.

The union needs all hands on board, so check their Facebook page or follow them on @egwomenunion for more information on how you can help.