g., education, employment, politics). Thus, the gender gap during this period was undeniably reduced, though not eliminated" (El-Safty, 2004) in this sense, the woman came to have a particular role in the society, especially in its development. Nonetheless, they were unable to express themselves to their full capacity precisely due to the religious aspect which is often invoked to limit the activities of women in the social environment as well as the political framework. There are several examples throughout societies which underline the fact that women have militated for an improvement in their lives and in their social status. The issue of women in Egypt is therefore not singular. In this sense, "In countries such as Mongolia, India, Egypt, Uruguay and Sierra Leone, Now or Never grantees are documenting the testimony of women who have been assaulted in conflict zones, challenging fundamentalism" () Therefore, it can be said that in societies in which the issue of religion tends to play a part, so does the need to rebel and thus create conflict. At the same time though, the international scene has tried through various means to improve their condition and to support their cause. In this sense, special forums are focused on "training women in legal and human rights advocacy, building relationships between rural and urban women, speaking in national and world parliaments, and contributing to international strategies to enforce women's human rights" (Global Fund for Women, 2005)

Such actions are important for the areas in which they take place because it is a means of creating a wider sense of unity against the inequalities religion pose. For instance, in Egypt, despite the fact that the constitutional law provides the same rights as for men, they are not allowed to own property by their families as "a cultural image of the female as the weaker sex exists" (El-Safty, 2004). Therefore, action needs to be taken at a higher level in order to ensure that equality is somehow achieved. One such example exists is Cairo where Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women is considered to be one of the most prominent organization for the advancement of...

Although it may seem to be an uphill struggle it is essential that action is being carried out and that the issues are actually addressed in a society in which conflicts can easily be arrived at based on the religious aspects of the a minority's background, be it a religious minority or an underprivileged sex.
Bibliography

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El-Safty, a. (2004) Women in Egypt: Islamic rights vs. cultural practice. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. Accessed 21 April 2008, at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_51/ai_n9483888/pg_1

Global Fund for Women. (2005) Investing in Women. Annual Report. Accessed 21 April 2008, at http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/images/stories/downloads/annual-2005.pdf

Global Fund for Women. (n.d) More Than Money: Strategies to Build Women's Economic Power. Impact Report No. 1: Economic Opportunity Initiative. Accessed 21 April 2008, at http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/images/stories/downloads/impact-report-1.pdf

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