In 1995, Ms. Soliman founded the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA) to provide legal support for women who are survivors of abuse, domestic violence, and those from marginalized communities, including victims of trafficking. CEWLA seeks to provide them with the skills and abilities that would enable them reclaim control over their life and overcome possible challenges.
Soliman is also co-founder of Musawah, an international movement ‘for equality and justice in the Muslim family.’ She is actively working toward a progressive interpretation of Islamic law, grounded in lived realities and human rights standards. Soliman advocates for amendments to family laws for both Muslims and Christians in Egypt and calls for a unified civil law applicable to all Egyptians.
In 2017, Soliman was a finalist and received an honorable mention for the Allard Prize, which honors exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption or protecting human rights. In 2020, she was awarded the Franco-German Human Rights and the Rule of Law Prize.
Azza Soliman has faced repeated arrests, prosecutions, and various forms of retaliation because of her activism, including financial sanctions. Although a recent ruling lifted the travel ban against her, her struggles persist. Despite the investigating judge’s decision to drop charges against her in Case 173, known as Egypt’s foreign funding case, citing lack of legal grounds, Ms. Soliman and her firm’s assets remain frozen. Moreover, when she sought to unfreeze her assets, her case was escalated to the Court of Terrorism. Ms. Soliman has filed multiple appeals against this decision, all of which have been rejected thus far.
The information on this page was last updated on 11-08-2024 and was provided by the Luminary.
