‘21 days to justice’: How Egypt’s law fails abused wives

Days passed heavily for Asmaa Mohamed, as if time itself conspired to break her. There was no food in the house, no helping hand except from strangers, kinder than her own blood. She swallowed her pain in silence, feigned strength for her daughter, but collapsed in solitude.

Hunger, she realized, wasn’t the worst of it—injustice was.

A sociology graduate from Minya University, Asmaa supported herself by tutoring children for school admission tests. She was forced to marry a physician, despite his violent tendencies that surfaced early during their engagement.

Her mother insisted it would be a scandal to break off the engagement. “What would people say? Where else would you find a doctor?” Asmaa recalled her mother saying.

For ten years, Asmaa lived without emotional or financial support. Her husband, hiding his fertility problems, publicly blamed her. Eventually, she convinced him to seek treatment and gave birth to her daughter, Ruqaya, now 12.

Throughout her marriage, the 45-year-old endured physical, psychological, and financial abuse. Her husband, she told Al Manassa, knew how to hurt her. “When he beat me, he’d take all my money and deny me food.”

Living in the city of Mallawi in Minya governorate, Asmaa covered the household expenses from her meager earnings, yet was forbidden from saving any.

When she finally protested, her husband threw her out. He then called her mother, asking her to deny Asmaa any shelter, so that she would have no option but to return.

The mother complied. “I felt unbearable pain. I was rejected by the people closest to me,” Asmaa said.

Realizing that years of her life had been stolen, Asmaa sought divorce. After another violent incident, she filed a police report, backed by a medical record from a public hospital.

The legal battle dragged on for over a year and a half, only to end with her husband acquitted. The court ruled that the assault did not cause a permanent disability or require more than 21 days of treatment—a threshold under Article 240 of Egypt’s Penal Code.

The justice system had failed her.

Unable to prove intent, and still legally married, she couldn’t overcome the widely accepted notion that “a husband has the right to discipline his wife.”

Unable to secure a divorce, Asmaa filed for alimony two years ago—an option available even while still married. However, the long wait dragged along steep legal costs. “Lawyers and court fees drained me,” she said. “I borrowed from friends, took up crochet and macrame, sold my crafts—just to stay afloat.”

When the law turns a blind eye

According to Egypt’s 2022 Family Health Survey, around one-third of ever-married women aged 15 to 49 have experienced some form of spousal violence. About 25% suffered physical abuse, 22% endured psychological violence, and nearly 6% reported sexual assault.

Asmaa’s story mirrors that of thousands of women trapped in abusive marriages. The legal system requires women to prove abuse—a daunting task when incidents occur behind closed doors, often without witnesses. Cases drag on, while the law fails to recognize psychological or economic abuse as grounds for divorce.

Egypt’s personal status law lacks a comprehensive definition of domestic violence. It largely recognizes only physical assault while ignoring emotional, economic, and sexual abuse, including marital rape or coercive punishment such as confinement or educational deprivation.

Worse still, the law grants husbands the power to compel their wives’ return through “obedience notices” and accuse them of “disobedience” if they refuse.

That’s what happened to Yasmeen Rahmy earlier this year. After fleeing domestic abuse, she received an obedience summons.

A university graduate with a science degree from Helwan University, Yasmeen contested the notice. She argued she had legitimate reasons to leave—years of violence and humiliation. She presented evidence and witness testimonies in court. The judge agreed, ruling her husband’s home was unsafe.

Under Egypt’s Personal Status Law No. 25 of 1929, a husband can serve a wife with an obedience notice if she leaves without “legitimate reason.” If she doesn’t return within 30 days or fails to contest the notice in court, she is deemed “disobedient” and loses her right to alimony. However, she retains child custody.

Though disobedience status doesn’t preclude a woman from later filing for divorce due to harm, the process is wielded as a tool of coercion. “How is it 2025 and I’m still being judged by a law from 1929?” Yasmeen questioned.

“How can a law written in a time when women had no rights decide my fate? I’m not disobedient—I’m escaping abuse. If anything needs disciplining, it’s this law.”

A glimmer of hope

In 2022, MP Nashwa El-Deeb introduced a draft bill to combat violence against women. The comprehensive legislation includes 53 articles addressing harassment, rape, and domestic and spousal abuse, with stricter penalties.

It also offers protection to children and men, aiming to unify and update existing laws, El-Deeb said, speaking to Al Manassa.

The bill, as lawyer Michael Raouf told Al Manassa, introduces a new legislative philosophy. It clearly defines domestic violence, reclassifying spousal assault from a “marital dispute” to a criminal offense deserving serious penalties.

Crucially, the bill criminalizes previously overlooked abuses such as marital rape, preventing girls from attending school, or forcing women to wear the hijab. These acts are not addressed under current law.

Official disregard

Azza Soliman, chairperson for the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance Foundation/CEWLA, noted that for years, marital rape was absent from Egyptian law.

“The law sees sex within marriage as a duty, not something requiring consent,” she told Al Manassa. “We’re working to change that. A wife has the right to say no. Forced sex should be recognized as a crime.”

The bill emerged in the wake of public outcry over femicides like the murder of university student Nayera Ashraf in 2022.

Soliman explained that the bill proposes forming a specialized investigative unit within the public prosecution to handle sensitive cases like marital rape. It also relies on witness testimony as a primary tool for evidence and strengthens witness credibility.

Despite strong advocacy, the draft bill remains stalled in parliament. MP Farida El-Shobashy told Al Manassa she expects movement soon, saying, “We must act to stop these crimes.”

She stressed that while legal penalties can deter some crimes, systemic change requires public awareness and societal support.

Meanwhile, Soliman blames the legislative committee for inaction, accusing it of prioritizing government interests over public welfare.

While reformers place their hopes on the new bill, Asmaa remains trapped in legal limbo. She still has not obtained a final ruling for alimony. For her and countless others, the law may be the only way out.