Since the ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on July 3rd, 2013, the country remains in a state of uncertainty.  Supporters of the military’s intervention claim the coup was necessary to prevent civil war and restore democracy.  Months later, however, hundreds of protestors have been killed and the political future of Egypt remains volatile.  Although the divide between Islamists and secularists is most frequently discussed, differences among key demographic groups also explain Egyptians’ attitudes and behaviors towards the political turmoil.  Using survey data collected in June 2013, D3 Systems investigates public opinion of the current political situation in Egypt, specifically focusing on key differences between men and women.

D3 Systems commissioned a national CATI-based survey consisting of 1,001 Egyptian adults, split into two phases of approximately 500 interviews each.  The purpose of the two-phase study was to experiment with probability-based sampling approaches.  Phase I was completed between June 27th and July 1st.  On July 3rd, the Egyptian military removed President Morsi and announced the installation of a new civilian government.  Fieldwork for Phase II was completed between July 5th and July 8th.  Although this two-phase study was designed as a methodological experiment, the timing of the military coup allows for opportune analysis of public opinion before and after the removal of President Morsi.

Key Findings

• Perceptions of both men and women were positive in the days following the coup; however, men are significantly more optimistic than women, while women remain more skeptical.
• There were no differences between men and women before the coup.  After the coup, however, men were  more likely than women to say the country is heading in the “right direction” and believe Egypt has made good progress since the 2011 revolution.
• Meanwhile, women are more likely than men to perceive the following issues to be a “great threat” to Egypt: moderate Islamist parties, the security situation, uncooperative political groups, and poor economic conditions.

For more in-depth results, download the full presentation and the paper.

Nina Sabarre, Elizabeth Hood, and David Rae of D3 Systems presented these findings at the 69^th annual American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Conference in Annaheim, California from May 15^th – May 18^th, 2014.  Check out our Research & Publications page for more AAPOR 2014 papers and presentations.

Disclaimer: The photograph Gigi Ibrahim is owned by Al Jazeera English.  D3 Systems, Inc. does not own the rights to this image, nor has it made any alterations to it.  The license for the photograph can be obtained here, and the original can be accessed by visiting this site.