Fourteen months have elapsed since the North Cairo Elementary Court’s decision to freeze the personal assets of Mozn Hassan, founder and executive director of Nazra for Feminist Studies, as well as those of the company ‘’Nazra for Studies’’ and the association ‘’Nazra for Feminist Studies’’. It is worth mentioning that the order was issued upon the request of the investigative judge in case 173 known as the NGO foreign funding case. The asset freeze order against the association ‘’Nazra for Feminist Studies’’ set a precedent as this was the first association registered under the ministry of social solidarity to have its assets frozen in case 173 and the first one in the history of civil society associations working on women’s rights since the 1950s.

Throughout the past fourteen months, Nazra has worked in all possible means to ensure the continuity of its work on women’s human rights, and the services it provides to survivors of violence as well as its support to women’s presence in the public sphere, and its partnership with young feminist groups, because of its belief in the long and rich history of the Egyptian feminist movement since 1919 until today. Due to the asset freeze order mentioned above, Nazra will not be able to sustain the presence of a physical office, yet it announces the continuity of its activities and services through its volunteers, its feminist knowledge production that stems from engagement with the feminist movement, as well as its hotline and incumbent services, and this for the continuity of its contribution to the Egyptian feminist movement. Nazra is also a firm believer in the important role young and future generations’ of feminists, who believe in women’s rights to bodily integrity and human dignity, play.

“Nazra for Feminist Studies” knows very that there is still a lot of activism needed to ensure that women enjoy their rights, especially within the framework of patriarchal values that the Egyptian state does not want to abandon, and the lack of a democratic and open public sphere in which independent feminist groups and organizations can work, even when they adhere to the required legal measures. Nonetheless, in this context, Nazra, as part of a feminist civil society, was able to sustain the continuity of a feminist discourse that calls for the right of women to effective participation in the public sphere.

Even though three members from “Nazra for Feminist Studies” were summoned for investigation on 22 March 2016, and Mozn Hassan on 29 March 2016 to appear before the investigative judge, who decided to postpone investigation indefinitely and she was not summoned again since then, and even though she was not investigation in any of the directed charges at her, and her travel ban on 27 June 2016, then the her asset freeze and those of the association, Nazra was able to continue the provision of various support services to survivors from sexual violence in the public sphere.

During the last ten years, “Nazra for Feminist Studies” worked on ensuring the continuity of the Egyptian feminist movement through its belief in the necessity of the presence of a safe public sphere for women, in which they can politically participate in an environment free of violence and discrimination. “Nazra” presented different forms of support services to survivors of sexual violence, worked with women running for various electoral processes such as parliament, and partnering with young women from various governorates in disseminating a feminist discourse that stems from what women are subjected to in their local communities, and that aims to combat various forms of violence and discrimination against women. “Nazra” also engaged with different mechanisms to ensure the presence of real democratic processes that include a feminist perspective to guarantee the design of necessary measures and policies for women’s rights, including issuing different letters on women’s right to decision-making positions and participation in the political sphere, whether in the Egyptian constitution or policies of different syndicates and political parties, in addition to engaging with state institutions such as fact-finding committees to ensure accountability for perpetrators denying women’s fundamental right to bodily integrity, and issuing recommendations and different position papers that highlight necessary mechanisms and measures to combat discrimination against women in various public positions and violence they experience.

In closing, “Nazra for Feminist Studies” asserts its continuation of disseminating its “vision” and dreams for Egyptian women, and will work hard via all legal ways. “Nazra” also believes that the presence of several young feminists renews the hope in the presence and continuity of an independent feminist movement that fights all forms of discrimination and violence against women.

As long as Egyptian women continue to struggle, the Egyptian feminist movement will always be revived!