CAIRO — Egypt’s National Council for Women launched an initiative in June to end tribal marriages and help couples officially register their marriages by March 2018. The initiative is of key importance for many women in the governorate of South Sinai, who do not have official papers such as birth certificates and marriage documents.

Mona Salem, council's South Sinai branch adviser, told Al-Monitor, “We have recently discovered that a large number of South Sinai residents have not officially registered their marriages. Many lack national identity cards and birth certificates required to register a marriage.”

Salem added, “The absence of official documents deprives women of having access to basic rights, such as pensions, inheritance and even enrolling their own children in school. They can neither obtain a passport for hajj nor apply for loans for a project.”

The council's initiative will provide practical aid to those who have not documented their marriage, as well as financial assistance to those who cannot afford marriage fees. It will also be coupled with an ad campaign to educate people, particularly women, about the drawbacks of undocumented marriage.