As part of its Micro-credits project, ICDS has on March 9th convened its first awareness sessions designed for the project's current beneficiaries. Previously, some women seemed to be reluctant regarding the idea of attending awareness sessions, mainly because they lack the time to spare for these sessions. Nevertheless, considerable efforts were exerted to raise the awareness of the beneficiaries about the importance of the awareness sessions and the practical value of the topics addressed

The awareness sessions are expected to offer the beneficiaries a variety of topics pertinent to women that include topics of reproductive healthcare and women’s legal, social and political rights.

The first session dealt with pregnancy and negative effects resulting from early marriage on both women and the children. The session also provided information on how newly born children should be taken care of in order to protect them against diseases such as Measles, Smallpox, Ophthalmia, Xanthic, and. Micturition. As an indication for their interest in the Awareness session, the session, the beneficiaries raised a number of interesting questions that were answered in details by the lecturere.

ICDS Forums During the Month of March

The ICDS forums during the month of March focused on the issue of the constitutional change asked by President Mubarak in late February. Most participants remained skeptical and merely considered the promised amendments a political ploy to silence criticism. Given the persistence of emergency laws and state control over the media and resources, no candidate can seriously challenge the incumbent president.

The proposed presidential elections will most probably be a farce of democracy similar to the Tunisian presidential elections. Furthermore, several members of the forum questioned the wisdom of amending the constitution when in fact it lacks in its entirety many basic democratic principles and relies on the quaint notion of revolutionary legitimacy. Instead of reforming the constitution, they argued, it should be cancelled and a new one established after extensive debate and negotiations in which all soci-political forces in Egyptian society participate.

Many also argued that even a good constitution would be of little value so long as constitution corruption and autocracy are entrenched in all institutions in Egypt. Even political opposition parties, who in their discourses stand for democracy and the protection of citizens’ rights, are extremely undemocratic in their internal structures. What is requires, therefore, is a comprehensive social and political change that would promote a culture of democracy.