The National Council for Women (NCW) has called for increasing the number of seats allocated for women candidates in the coming parliament.

The women's quota should be maintained during the coming parliamentary elections, whether through election or appointment, said president of the NCW Mervat el Tallawi Wednesday.

Work is underway to amend the electoral law in such a way that would guarantee at least 70 women candidates would make it to the next parliament, Tallawi noted.

But she still believed this number remains way below women's quotas in many nearby Arab countries.

The NCW recommendations are based on the outcome of societal dialogue sessions held between the prime minister and representatives of the political powers on amendments to the electoral law, Tallawi said.

The NCW had sent letters to Minister of Transitional Justice & Parliamentary Affairs Ibrahim el Heneidi and Justice Minister Mahfouz Saber, as well as counselor Refaat Qomsan, the advisor to the prime minister for electoral affairs, about NCW demands.