ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author assumes that women's position, initiatives and abilities to organize themselves for effective participation in social processes are greatly influenced by their economic, social and political status in society. She presents a situation analysis of Egyptian women. The author explains impact of this situation on women’s abilities to organize themselves or to participate in the already existing Private Voluntary Organizations will be examined as well as impact of their participation on women’s status and the changing nature of gender relations in society. Although Egyptian women have been working productively for thousands of years and the law governing women’s work was issued more than fifty years ago, their work is still controversial issue and subject of debate among different groups in Egypt. Egyptian women account for a small but visible share of the professional class, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, university professors, scientific researchers, artists, composers, writers, as well as the more traditional roles as teachers and nurses.
