Azza Soliman. Picture by Rene Celement. It is often said, to portray the extent of authoritarianism of the Egyptian state, that “even” feminists and women’s organizations are targeted, given that feminism and women’s issues are not seen as part of what authoritarian states perceive as threatening. Contemplating the situation of women human rights defenders in Egypt on the International Women Human Rights Defenders’ day (WHRDs), cannot but challenge this assumption.
On the 19th of November 2016, Azza Soliman, a feminist lawyer, WHRD, and the head of the board of trustees of the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA), was informed that she was banned from traveling based on a judicial order issued on November 17th, 2016 while on her way to participate in “Musawah” movement's training on women's rights in Islam in Jordan. A day later, Soliman found out that her assets and those of her law firm have been frozen.
For nearly two decades, Azza Soliman and CEWLA have been relentlessly working for women’s rights, especially women’s access to justice.
