Women's Education and Employment Rights in Egypt From President Gamal A. Nasser to President Abdel Fattah Al Sis

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a qualitative phenomenological study to explain, explore, and highlight those factors that can lead to empower women by allowing her to get better education and employment which could lead her to emergence as leaders in Egypt. The investigation required the assessment of how participants perceive their conditions through experience and change of the political environment which impacted women's rights in Egypt. The selected participants were educated and are working women and are empowered in roles in both the public and private sectors. Ten women were interviewed two times each over six months. The study attempts to shed light on the factors that contribute to women in Egypt obtaining better education and positions. This study investigated the factors that contribute to the women education and employment opportunities acquiring positions of management, guidance, and leadership -- positions usually dominated by men in Egypt by asking: (a) Do paternal, family and cultural factors influence Egyptian women's opportunities for education and employment? (b) What characteristics, attitudes, and attributes are seen as important for women to attain employment in Egypt? (c) Did the participation of women in the 2011 revolution influence their right to education and employment in the new constitution? Information was collected from the interviewee using the guide approach to provide a focus for the researcher and participants. This approach permitted a certain amount of autonomy and flexibility to acquire the appropriate information from the interviewee. The interviews consisted of presenting open-ended questions allowing women to reflect on how they were successful in obtaining these leadership positions. The study revealed three pertinent themes: (a) family influence and obligations (b) employment and empowerment (c) level of education.