Jul 10, 2026
May Allam

Born and raised in Egypt’s Menofia Governorate, Ayat Khalaf has built a career defined by academic excellence, determination, and a deep commitment to justice. A top-performing student from an early age, she balanced her studies with a wide range of extracurricular activities, from sports and music to art and recitation, developing the discipline and confidence that would shape her future.

Inspired by her family’s long-standing connection to the judiciary, Ayat pursued a degree in law at Menoufeya University, where she graduated at the top of her class with honors in 2006. Her exceptional academic record earned her a position as an assistant lecturer in the Civil Law Department before she transitioned into public service as an Administrative Prosecutor. In 2015, she achieved another milestone by joining Egypt’s judiciary as a judge in the Courts of First Instance.

In this interview, Ayat reflects on the experiences that shaped her career, the values that guide her work on the bench, and her journey through some of Egypt’s most respected legal institutions.

WoE: As a senior judge in the technical office of the Court of Cassation in Egypt, what challenges do you face on a daily basis? 
Ayat Khalaf: Well, the biggest challenge facing all members of the judicial body is the poor infrastructure of the courts. Judges, officials, lawyers, and litigants suffer in proceeding with the inefficient worn out buildings and facilities in the court premises. Besides, there are challenges of expeditious handling of cases. The litigants usually do not realize that it is out of a judge’s hand to decide a case as fast as expected due to the procedural track they have to follow according to the law. Another challenges relate to the digitalization as not all cases handlers are technically equipped with the digital tools enabling them to perform easily. This may result in a kind of mess at a certain stage.

WoE: How do you cope with being a minority group in a male-dominated field in Egypt? 
AK: It was not easy at all. First, women were not allowed to join the judiciary (whether common courts or administrative courts). More specifically, they were not allowed to apply to these positions. After a long struggle, and with the support of the National Council for women, about 30 women were first  appointed in the judiciary in 2007, noting that they were chosen from the administrative prosecution members and not inherently appointed from the early career stages. Then, in 2008, another 21 women were appointed in the same way. Then, in 2015, another 27 women were also appointed in the same way, and I was one of them. 

As a minority, we faced rejection at first and were seen as unprofessional despite our academic achievement in the field of law. We had to choose to focus either on proving that we are equals or on proceeding with our new position. For me, I went for the second choice to save my power and energy in self and professional development instead of the side battles. Doing so, I had to be patient in dealing with the presupposition that women are not qualified by nature to the judicial career. By time, my work spoke louder than my voice in the way that nobody could argue for unprofessionalism. 

WoE: What limitations do you feel society places on you as a woman in a challenging field? 
AK: Besides the general struggle as women in a patriarchal society, a working mom’s struggle is doubled. I have to accommodate my life to the unlimited working hours whether at court or at home. I also have to comply to the career moves that prevent judges from working in the area they resides in. With no parental support, I have to deal with the children and domestic work issues. This put women on unequal foot with their male counterparts who do not face such societal obstacles on their career path. 

WoE: Would you advice other young Egyptian women to work in the field of law and aspire to eventually become senior judges as your respected self? Why or why not? 
AK: I would definitely advise them to take at least the experience of applying to the judicial entities since things are different now and the path is paved before them. This would be a victory for Egyptian women to powerfully conquer a male dominated field to gain equal opportunities with men. Moreover, this will open new horizons before women to many other fields since they believe in themselves that they can do it.

WoE: Was there a time where you faced severe difficulties in your experience as a judge in the Court of Cassation and how did you overcome these difficulties? 
AK: Speaking of discrimination, as a woman, I am not allowed yet to apply to the public prosecution of the Court of Cassation. Besides, I am also not allowed to be promoted as a chief judge at the same court. Surprisingly, there are no legal barrier preventing me from so except for the outdated mindsets of the decision makers. However, we didn’t give up hope as we had already passed the most difficult step before. 

WoE: How have your postgraduate studies impacted your career and supported it? 
AK: In addition to benefiting the academic knowledge gained directly from the comparative legal studies, I have been mostly impacted by the exposure to a different educational style from the traditional one of the Egyptian universities. This helped me improve critical and analytical thinking which was in turn reflected on my vision of the cases before me. 

WoE: What advice can you offer to women in Egypt about pursuing their dreams and aspirations, despite societal restrictions and cultural ideologies regarding employment of women in certain fields? 
AK: My advice would be to never stop believing in yourselves; you will never realize how strong you are until you give it a try. Believe in your dream, work on it, and try to convince at least one of the decision makers of supporting it. Simultaneously, work on getting rid of the feeling of guilt that is embedded in your thoughts, as a result of the societal vision of you as a woman and as a mom.

WoE: What are your dreams for women in Egypt and how do you think they could fulfill them? 
AK: I dream that every woman feels safe and respected. I also dream of women having the freedom to make their own choices and decisions in life. This cannot be fulfilled without a persistent commitment to advancing gender equality at both the national and global levels.

WoE: What are your personal and career-related dreams and aspirations?
AK: I aspire to be the first female judge at the Court of Cassation. Given that the judges of this court are elected by the general assembly of the court, there is no legal barrier to reach this position. However, this requires unifying efforts to make this opportunity possible.