Feminist activists gathered in Cairo on Tuesday evening to debate Egypt’s long-delayed Personal Status Law, voicing frustration at the government’s failure to publish the draft text and warning that leaked proposals risk undermining hard-won rights. The roundtable, titled “Personal Status Law: To What End?” was hosted by the New Woman Foundation (NWF) and drew lawyers, journalists and civil society representatives, alongside MP Freddy El-Bayadi.
The absence of key officials, Hani Georgy of the National Council for Women and Judge Sally El-Saeedi of the Ministry of Justice, both announced as keynote speakers, raised questions about the state’s willingness to engage in genuine dialogue.
Egypt’s family law system, rooted in religious codes—Sharia for Muslims and church law for Christians—has long enshrined patriarchal norms, prioritising male guardianship over civil equality and children’s rights. Reform, campaigners argue, is a high-stakes struggle to reconcile traditional mandates with modern with modern child rights and the pursuit of contemporary gender justice..
Maha Youssef, a lawyer and chair of the NWF’s board of trustees, told the session that the current Personal Status Law, dating back to 1920, is “completely expired.” She described its philosophy of “maintenance in exchange for confinement,” which assumes men as sole providers and women confined to obedience, as incompatible with contemporary realities where millions of households depend on women’s income.
Concerns over “trial balloons”
Youssef pointed out that the proliferation of laws supplementary to the Personal Status Law—covering alimony, khul‘ (divorce initiated by the wife), and standard divorce—has made it difficult for citizens to understand their rights. She criticized the opacity surrounding the draft, noting that media leaks on custody ages and divorce provisions function as “trial balloons” rather than genuine consultation. “Where is the actual draft that is supposed to be the basis for societal dialogue?” Youssef asked.
The Ministry of Justice committee formed in 2022, following presidential directives, was meant to complete its work within four months. Years later, despite receiving more than 4,000 proposals, the public remains unaware of which recommendations have been adopted.
MP Freddy El-Bayadi confirmed that the draft Personal Status Law for Muslims has not yet reached parliament, though he expects it to arrive in the coming weeks. He described the heated debates on social media as mere “preliminaries and leaks,” emphasizing that parliament is keen to draft a balanced law that does not favor one party over another.
MP Freddy El-Bayadi at the roundtable on the Personal Status Law, April 21, 2026“Unfortunately, recent tragedies are fueling this hostile atmosphere,” El-Bayadi continued. “If people see a woman commit suicide, the reaction is to set men on fire, and vice versa. But even though these are isolated incidents, they must be taken into account as we work toward a fair law for the entire family that protects the most vulnerable parties: first children, then women, and then men.”
Legislation ready for Christians
In contrast to the Muslim draft, El-Bayadi revealed that a draft Personal Status Law for Christians was completed a year ago. It has been signed and approved by six Egyptian churches: the Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Syrian Orthodox. He noted that the new bill introduces mechanisms for divorce, which remains one of the most significant challenges facing Egyptian Christians.
According to El-Bayadi, the draft closes the door on “changing denomination,” a practice often used as a backdoor to obtain a divorce. It also includes provisions for the annulment of marriage in cases of fraud or deception and allows the use of electronic messages and phone calls as evidence for adultery.
Demands for asset division and digital oversight
Participants presented recommendations ranging from asset division on divorce to digital oversight of alimony payments. Amal Abdel Hadi, a rights activist and former director of NWF, stressed the need for the draft law to be made available to the public for at least seven months of discussion. She demanded that the law’s philosophy be built on the principle of the equal legal capacity of men and women, in accordance with the 2014 constitution. She also called for a provision to divide assets acquired during the marriage equally upon divorce to address the alimony crisis.
Entessar Elsaeed, a lawyer and chair of the Cairo Foundation for Development and Law, proposed the creation of a digital system to verify a husband’s income and determine a minimum alimony amount. She also called for marriage and divorce to be regulated under judicial supervision to ensure that unilateral divorce is not recognized and to grant custodial mothers the right to educational guardianship.
Elsaeed insisted on maintaining the current custody system while enhancing it in the best interest of the child after the custody age ends. This development, she added, should include visitation and hosting systems that ensure safe and genuine communication with the child. Regarding polygamy, she called for strict legal controls, noting that when women cite polygamy as a ground for divorce due to harm, their feelings are often met with mockery and sarcasm.
Aya Abdelhamed, a feminist activist and member of the Insaf Initiative, held the state responsible for disputes related to custody and alimony. “The state constantly shifts this burden onto individuals and citizens, leaving it as a source of conflict within courtrooms,” she said, calling for institutional intervention to ensure the protection and stability of children.
She noted that economic crises make it difficult for either party to bear full responsibility after a separation. “Sometimes both parties truly have no money. What happens then? What will these children be exposed to?” she asked. She criticized the support provided by the Nasser Social Bank as “a pittance that cannot sustain a human being,” calling for institutional budgets to support the alimony system by reducing litigation costs and unifying cases.
Finally, Fatma Khafagy, coordinator of the Arab Network for Feminist Civil Society, called on feminist organizations to unite their efforts around a single proposal to ensure their vision is clearly communicated and to form a pressure group for a specific draft.
An informed source at the Cabinet told Al Manassa late last week that the government is currently conducting a final review of a comprehensive Personal Status Law. This follows recent directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to accelerate the submission of family laws to the House of Representatives.
This government action coincides with a broad push by political parties and civil society organizations, which have proposed radical amendments in recent days, including ending the deprivation of custody for married mothers, restricting polygamy, and establishing joint guardianship of children.
The New Woman Foundation defines itself as a feminist advocacy organization that supports women’s rights in Egypt through policy development and support services.
