Presidential hopeful Mohamed Morsy on Tuesday said the new constitution should give Egyptian women their full rights and added that he trusts women to serve in his government.

At a conference he held as part of his meetings with prominent female figures, Morsy said, “I feel embarrassed to talk about women’s ‘demands’ because they should be more properly termed ‘rights.’”

Morsy said the role of women in society is reflected in the fact that they are currently struggling alongside men. Women teach children, reject oppression, revolt against repression and are searching for a better future, he added.

He said his cabinet should include women, not only to represent other women but to supervise several other dossiers which women are capable of handling.

Morsy tackled several issues relating to women, including female-headed households, whose problems have been discussed in Parliament, and the issue of “spinsterhood,” which he said is a problem facing four million males and females.

Morsy emphasized that one of the major axes of his platform is societal empowerment, a part of which is dedicated to discussing problems faced by women and families. Morsy said that a single state institution cannot deal with the problems women encounter.

Morsy closed by encouraging women to continue their struggle, adding that he is confident that women are able to make the correct choices, regardless of their level of education.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm