Women’s Issues

WoEgypt #TheNewAgeFairytales Initiative Reimagines Fairy Tales to Promote Gender Equality

December 6, 2020 
By: Dina Al-Mahdy 

(March 2021) WoEgypt kicks off a new creative writing initiative, Reimagining Fairy Tales for a New Generation, which aims to support a dialogue to change the ways society thinks about women’s and girls’ roles, human potential, and rights. The initiative will explore the role of fairy tales in the cultural struggle over gender equality and feminism. Continue reading..


Bracelet for a Cause | Promoting Women Empowerment and Gender Equality

Saturday October 24, 2020

Launching Awareness Campaign to Promote Women Empowerment and Gender Equality

WoEgyptGlobal Project Partners, and Fair Trade Egypt (WGF) join hands to support women empowerment and gender equality, and to promote their safety and rights, through a unique handmade bracelet. The campaign, which includes the design, production and sale of the bracelet, aims at raising awareness and funds for various issues relating to eliminating all forms of violence against them . continue reading ..

Narrative Summit Supports Women of Egypt’s ‘40 Over 40’ Campaign

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In an initiative to celebrate women over 40 who have achieved breakthroughs in their careers and contradicted stereotypes, Women of Egypt, an advocacy movement for the empowerment of Egyptian women, has launched the ‘40 Over 40’ campaign on Facebook, which aims to shed light on 40 women over the age of 40 who overcame massive obstacles across different fields and achieved success..continue reading ..

How an Art Campaign is Advertising for Women Empowerment | By: Rana Aglan

Wednesday September 23, 2020 
By: Rana Aglan

Illustration by: Marie Armany 

The history book of life is ripe with stories of empowerment initiatives and narratives on feminist movements for women to take their rightful place in society. The Suffragettes were members of the British activist women organization to grant women the right to vote during the elections. The esteemed George Eliot who inspired other dozens of women writers to publish their own works under their original names at an age when the only way for a woman to publish a body of work was to be done anonymously or pseudonymously. continue reading..

Why the panic over getting older? | Dr Laila Alghalban

Saturday August 8, 2020 
By: Dr. Laila Alghalban 

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Why do we want to stay young? Why do we ask for the impossible? And would life be better off if there were no aging? These questions I have been mulling over for many years.  However, this week I was taken aback by a freaky news story on a rising, even revolutionary, trend among Silicon Valley’s male tech employees. They “are having facelifts (because they’re over 35)!” continue reading ..

UNPFA Uses Paintings of Artist Fatma Mahmoud to Promote Women Issues

Saturday July 18, 2020 
By: Alexandra Kinias 

Fatma Mahmoud’s graduation project from Art School, “Be Kind to Women”, to raise awareness on female genital mutilation received high acclaim, nationally and internationally. Her art pieces caught the attention of the UNFPA, and they contacted her to use these them for their awareness campaigns. The UNFPA not only published Fatma’s paintings in an anti-fgm report on their website, but also commissioned her to design new paintings for other issues such as child marriage, violence against women, birth control, and gender discrimination between children… continue reading ..

How Many Times will History Repeat Itself for Egyptian Women?

Wednesday July 8, 2020
By: Hannah Edwar

Image credit: Reuters 

Last week, the internet exploded with sexual assault allegations from over 100 women, all targeted at one man. The stories shared were horrific. And while there was no louder calling for the community to rise, support and amplify the voices of its bravest members, yet there was also no greater sign that we, as a society, keep failing. We have failed to overcome one of the worst social diseases of our generation. .. continue reading ..

My Over Protective Guy Friend: Don’t be my Savior, Be a Feminist

Sunday July 5th, 2020 
By: Farah Amr Desouky 

ٓٓImage credit ©DW/Hashem 

Story time alert: I’m a twenty-year-old girl, and throughout my life I have been lucky to meet guys who are friends and colleagues that are protective of me, overprotective even at times. They’re the guys who ask me to share my Uber ride’s tracker to make sure I got home safe after an outing. The guys who make me walk next to the pavement on the street while they shield me from potential harassers. The guys who ask and make sure the other guy talking to me is respectful. Doesn’t that sound amazing, having good men in your life, men who aren’t abusive or problematic, right? .. continue reading ..

It’s Huda Shaarawi’s 140th Birthday. Anyone Celebrating It?

Tuesday June 23, 2020
By: Alexandra Kinias

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Women empowerment is not a favorable subject of discussion in Middle Eastern countries, and women born and raised in these misogynist societies live in perpetual struggle to achieve tangible results. Recently, I was asked by a young woman about Huda Shaarawi’s (1887 – 1947) accomplishments. What I first thought was a cynical question, turned out to be a real serious one. It was shocking to learn that the young woman knew of Sharaawi’s name, but was ignorant of her contributions to the feminist movements in Egypt and the Arab world… continue reading ..

You Are a Piece of Art; A Campaign for Women to Embrace Their Imperfections

Sunday June 21, 2020  – By: Alexandra Kinias 

After a woman was shamed over stretch marks by her fiancé in a message posted on Facebook, Yasmeen Ashraf, Menna Ayman and Ahmed Elassi launched an awareness campaign “You Are a Piece of Art” for women to embrace their imperfections. The stretch marks incident dates back to April 30th when screenshots of a message between a couple went viral. The couple’s names were blacked out. In the message the young man asked about the stretch marks on his fiancé’s legs and inquired if she had more on her body. He went further and threatened to break up with her; gave her an ultimatum to remove them… continue reading ..

June 14th; Egypt’s National Anti-FGM Day | How many more girls will lose their lives?

Sunday June 14, 2020 – By: Alexandra Kinias 

Art by: Fatma Mahmoud Raslan

Imagine this; Your loving trusted father brings home a doctor to vaccinate you against Coronavirus. The doctor injects you with a magic potion, renowned scientists in the largest labs around the world have yet to discover. You doze off, and later wake up with excruciating pain in your genital. You also find your legs bound together. To your shock, you realize you and your two sisters were drugged and your genitals were cut off while you were asleep … continue reading …

Grandmas Want to Have Fun Too; The Stigma of Aging in Egypt
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Misogynistic cultures shape women in social molds.  In these societies women are labeled and shamed if they deviate from the standard expectation dictated to them. Young girls are perpetually bullied if their hair texture, skin color or weight don’t conform with the convention beauty standards. Single women and divorcees, are stigmatized. Menopause in these cultures is labeled, “The age of despair”… continue reading ..

Are We Strangers to Our Bodies? | Mariam Diefallah

Friday May 22, 2020                  By: Mariam Diefallah 

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If you are a Harry Potter fan, perhaps, like me, you have always been fascinated with the cloak of invisibility. Who would not want to own a magical artifact that provides impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it? If you are not a potterhead, just imagine having the power to hide with utmost secrecy!.. continue reading ..

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Because She is A Woman: A Campaign to Re-appropriate Sexist Phrases Against Women

Saturday May 2, 2020               By: Dina Al Mahdy

“You define your success, not your gender.” This is the message that Women of Egypt would like to deliver to the whole world.

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In light of WoEgypt’s core missions, WoEgypt launched a new campaign titled “Because She Is A Woman” for professionals to share their success stories as well as breaking boundaries and stereotypes, and re-appropriating phrases of prejudice, patriarchy and paternalism against women to actually reflect their great value, potential and power! .. continue reading ..

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Transcending gender barriers in academia. Why male academics outnumber females?
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Monday March 3, 2020
By: Dr. Laila Alghalban

What a career! To be an academic is a dream for many people, a sense of achievement that yields recognition and satisfaction, and an opportunity to peruse passion for and contribution to their captivating sciences. Nevertheless, as in many other domains and careers, some subtle sides of the story hold women back and rarely come to light. Most prominent among them is the gender gap in assuming leadership positions. Male academics in senior positions grossly outnumber their female counterparts despite the soaring rise of female population in universities. .. continue reading ..

Meet Reham Awwad, The Plastic Surgeon Who Heals Victims of FGM in Egypt

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February 6, 2020                                 
By: Dr. Reham Awwad

I will never forget the first time I saw a case of female genital mutilation.  It was during my OB/GYN internship rotation. A pregnant patient came in for her 38-week checkup.  Following the gynecologist’s instructions, the woman lay down on the examination table. What I witnessed next left me in shock. The woman’s labia majora (the outer lips of her genitalia) were sewed shut! I could not even comprehend what I saw. .. continue reading ..

“Champions for Change” to Promote Gender Equity and Redefine Manhood.

Tuesday January 14, 2019                    
By: Dina El Mahdy

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On social media platforms, we are bombarded with news about Egyptian men who mistreat women, deny them their rights, and stand in the way of their happiness, well-being, and success. Yet, the good news is there are still inspirational Egyptian men who support women and encourage them in all walks of their lives. .. continue reading ..

Some women are their own worst enemies in their gender’s fight for equality

Sunday December 12, 2020                        
By: Nourhan Mansour

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The words “It’s a girl” have haunted men and women, since the dawn of time. Infanticide, a common practice in ancient times, is still practiced in some societies today; a symbol for the shame girls bring to their families, even in modern time. So, men are to blame, right? Not entirely. We share the blame too,  for two simple reasons, that even though could easily change, have proven to prevail through time… continue reading …

Why Silence Brought Us Here – The Butterfly Effect

Saturday January 4, 2020              
By: Farah Desouky

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I’ve decided to wait, process, not speak out of anger and emotion, you know, not to be the “hysterical woman”. So two videos circulated recently, one from Sharkiya, the other from Mansoura, of group sexual harassment/assault. Egyptian men’s celebration of New Year’s eve. Tons of questions raced through my head. Would this behavior exist if men didn’t feel entitled to controlling/ regulating women’s bodies? No. Would this behavior exist if large groups of “bros” didn’t act as a support system for toxic masculinity? No. .. continue reading ..

An Unlikely Safe Space: Fight Gender-Based Violence Online

Tuesday December 10, 2019                
By: Lara Ahmed

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With all the violence it can trigger, the internet must seem like the last place to find female empowerment.  But women worldwide are reshaping the image of the cold, unforgiving web.  As the “16 days of Activism” campaign draws to an end, here are some ways to make cyberspace a safe space... continue reading ..

Raising A Child’s Awareness OF Gender-Based Violence
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Monday November 25, 2019                By: Lara Ahmed 

The old saying “Charity begins at home” has a unique relevance in a lot of situations. It means that before trying to help others out of a crisis, take a moment to see if your household is guilty of the very same crimes you’re preaching against. To celebrate the 16-days of Activism campaign, help cross out gender-based violence off the list of atrocities committed against women, by teaching your children about generation equality. ... continue reading ..

Ending The Divide Between “Housewives” And “Career Women”

Monday October 4, 2019                          By: Lara Ahmed

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The role of the modern woman has the unique ability to take many shapes. In developing countries, the first image to come to mind is of the stereotypical housewife. In western nations, we immediately think of career women. But cultural shifts are rising everywhere, and our views of what a modern woman should look like have formed into a question mark… continue reading ..

Women, Passion, Society…

Tuesday October 29, 2019                      By: Thanaa Hesham

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Credit and Copyright: iko – Fotolia

Recently, I have been going through a lot in my life. Each day I ask myself, “Why am I thinking too much?” After reading the book “Women Who Think Too Much”, by Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Professor of Psychology at Yale University, I was surprised to learn that women, all over the world, think more than men. In fact, Dr. Hoeksema proved in one of her studies that women think as twice as much as men….continue reading…

20 Photos | Celebrating the Hard Working Rural ِEgyptian Women on Their International Day

October 15, 2019                      By: UN Women 

The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Rural Women celebrates and honors the role of rural women on October 15 each year. It recognizes rural women’s importance in enhancing agricultural and rural development worldwide…continue reading…

 

On the Day of the Girl Child: Don’t Clip Their Wings

Sunday October 13, 2019             ـــ By: Menna Doubal

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Photo by Mohamed EL Kordy

Millions of girls around the world are deprived from their basic rights. They live in continuous struggle because of their gender. They are considered inferior to males and treated as such; deprived from education, exposed to violence, sex exploitation and child marriages….continue reading….

Skinny-Shaming | The Other Side Of The Coin

Wednesday August 7, 2019                   By: Lara Ahmed

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PHOTO: CHARLOTTE ASTRID | FLICKR

Summer is clearly in the air, and the heat wave has people rushing to beaches to cool off and have fun.  Everyone is slipping confidently into their new swimsuits and favorite shorts. Everyone, except for the women who can already hear the whispered disapproval of their bodies….continue reading…

Is Anyone Listening To ‘These Girls’?

Tuesday July 23, 2019                        By: Alexandra Kinias

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Maryam cuts her hair short to look like boys to protect herself from rape.

In the streets of Cairo, stray dogs and cats often compete with the hungry homeless for scraps of food salvaged from the garbage, or for a spot to spend the night, let it be under a parked car, a construction site or a sidewalk. The phenomenon is not unique to the mega city, where many of its 18 million inhabitants live in expensive homes and mansions. However, what makes the picture gloomier in Cairo than elsewhere, is….continue reading…

Fine Arts Student Dedicates Her Graduation Project to Fight FGM

Sunday July 14, 2019                   By: Manal Hany

BE KIND TO WOMEN

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“Be Kind to Women” is the title of the graduation project of Fatma Mahmoud Raslan, 23, student at the Faculty of Fine Arts – Helwan University, Department of Mural Painting. The project is about combating violence against women and its negative impact on their mental, physical and emotional health. Fatma chose female genital mutilation (fgm) to be the subject of her graduation...continue reading…

Women Are Their Own Worst Enemies

Tuesday July 2, 2019                      By: Alexandra Kinias

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Via New York Post

Misogyny, practiced for thousands of years in patriarchal societies continues to spread in modern day Egypt and in other regions around the world where women are considered inferior to men, and treated as such. In Egypt, a country with male dominance, misogyny forms the foundation for the oppression of women. It perpetuates from one generation to the other as is evident …continue reading…

“Be Yourself”: A Campaign For Women To Embrace Their Unique Beauty

Tuesday June 25, 2019                      By: Sandra Magdy

MY NEVER-ENOUGH BEAUTY

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Graphic Designer Sandra Estefane 

Like many girls, I want to live like the olden dayswhere elegance, decorum, and clean streets were the norm. However, this is not the only reason why I want to live there, but also because in this era beauty standards were simply your own uniqueness. As I was scrolling through my newsfeed on…continue reading…

Homemade Cooking Business Brings Financial Independence to More Women.

Saturday June 8, 2019                  By: Fatma Lotfiretro-1291738

In patriarchal societies, women have been occasionally urged by men to stay in the kitchen, with arguments that they are incapable of competing with them in the labor market, and thus they should focus on what they know best, cooking. Challenging such mentalities, and amid harsh economic conditions, some women chose to transform their cooking talents from daily housewives’ chores to a profession that generates income…continue reading…

Men Who Marry Feminists End up the Happiest

Sunday June 2nd, 2019                     By: Dina Al Mahdy
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Feminism is probably not what you think it is. The word – and the movement – have been distorted and warped in a million different directions. Feminism is not about crazy women who hate men and want to eliminate them all in order to run the planet. Each woman has her own thoughts about how she feels toward men, but leave feminism out of your problems…continue reading…

The Brief Chronicled History of The Girl: A Flash Fiction Story About FGM

Sunday April 21, 2019                        By: Riham Adly

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Art by Beatrice Florence Taylor 

Girl, before your father implanted you in your mother’s womb, before being assigned your X’s and not the salubrious Y’s, you were in the water, in the air, in the elements: a tri-atom that didn’t belong to any tribe, any clan, any Kabilah. In your first incarnation: You were given the name Mary. You splashed in the mud and played with Abdullah and Abel….continue reading…

Maha Hesham Designs Stamps to Commemorate 9 Egyptian Pioneer Women

Monday March 4th, 2019                                 By: Alexandra Kinias

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Since Queen Victoria appeared on the first adhesive postage stamp in 1840, portrait busts of rulers became standard of the early stamps. In contemporary times, countries continue to honor the distinguished members in their societies by featuring them on commemorative stamps, which are printed in limited quantities, and often sought after as collective items….continue reading…

How Feminism Is Ruining My Mental Health

Saturday February 9, 2019                         By: Farah Amr Desouky

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Photo Credit : ABC News 

Anyone who knows me knows what feminism is to me and how passionate I am about social justice generally, so admitting the negative effect being woke has lately had on me is definitely not easy. Doing good and advocacy has been my default for a long time, being critical about every single thing is important, but when is it too far that it transforms into a constant state of anger?…continue reading…

Facts About Female Genital Mutilation

Wednesday February 6, 2019

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Photo Amnesty International

The World Health Organization defines FGM as any procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The procedure [that is forced upon minors is performed with or without using anesthesia] is widely practiced and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women…continue reading…

Is a Female Judge Far From Reality?

Wednesday January 16, 2019                         By: The Law Magazine

47188728_277994759523431_5802030990423490560_nA dilemma takes place right after graduating law school, a prestigious study that requires a prestigious occupation as well which comes in a diversity of options for any law school graduate. However, this is not the same scenario for female law graduates. Due to the fact that a limited option of professions is available for females to settle on without even attempting to think about joining the most paramount councils in Egypt as judges. …continue reading…

‘Mona Dreams of Being a Doctor’: Helping Sinai Bedouin Girls Receive Education

Wednesday December 5, 2018                             By: Egyptian Streets 

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Source: Bedouin Girls Education Project’s Facebook page 

While there are countless projects being done in Cairo and other cities in Egypt to help young women receive an education and work, there is still limited attention given to the bedouin women in Sinai. Due to unfortunate events, the Sinai peninsula has in recent years become a haven for terrorism and transnational crime, posing great threats to Egypt’s national security. Though what is missing from the discourse is human security – continue reading…

Marathon to End Violence Against Women

Friday November 30, 2018

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Egyptian women gathered today in Cairo for an eight-kilometer run, the first official Marathon for Women and Girls in Egypt. The event was part of the 16-days of activism to combat violence against girls and women. It was organized by The National Council of Women (NCC), in cooperation with UNFPA, Cairo Runners, and the Ministry of Youth….continue reading…

Egyptian Mother Pleas to the World for Help to Find Her Abducted Son

Thursday November 29, 2018

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On the morning of November 22, Asser Ahmed, 4-year-old, waited for his school bus in front of his family home in Nasr City, accompanied by his mother, aunt and grandmother. As the bus arrived, a car and two motorcycles intercepted it. To the horror of his family, by passers and other children on the bus, five gangsters carrying sharp weapons and sticks abducted Asser from his mother’s arms….continue reading….

Cairo Underground-Metro Campaign Raises Awareness on Women’s Issues

Thursday November 15, 2018

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The National Council of Women launched a media campaign in some of the central underground-metro stations in Cairo, including, Ataba, Ramses, Abbasiyah and Cairo University. The campaign, Your Life is Stations … Don’t Let a Station Stops You, which will run for three months, is among the NCW’s projects to end violence against women. The campaign is in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)….continue reading…

Mariam Works as A Carpenter to Get Through Tough Times

Thursday November 1, 2018        By: Photojournalist Mohamed Hakim

45011781_2106957496015513_7074419419845230592_nMariam’s husband abandoned her seven years ago with no source of income. She had just given birth to her second son Karas, who is now in third grade. It wasn’t easy for the single mother in the conservative governorate of Minia in Upper Egypt to support her two sons. Inevitably, she sent her eldest son, Nour, who was just a child, to work in a carpenter shop. For five years, Nour was the breadwinner of the family.…continue reading…

Egyptian Women in the Workforce: Then and Now

Wednesday October 17, 2018          By: Egyptian Streets

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When one thinks of an ’employed’ woman, it is often linked with modernity, industrialisation, and the urban world. The industrial developments that occurred in the West in the 19th and 20th century are commonly seen as the trigger in integrating woman into the workforce in modern times. While changes in society certainly impact the different ways a woman can work and support her family, it is important to realize that there were other women…continue reading…

‘I Felt Like A Whole New Person’: Stories of Divorced Egyptian Women

Monday September 24, 2018                      By:  Egyptian Streets

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“I felt like a whole new person,” says Amal, “and I am starting to love myself again. It is kind of like the difference between heaven and hell, and I am now in heaven.”

Egyptian women are often looked at from an angle that only selects the tragic side of their lives; they are presented to the world as feeble creatures that are under the oppression and control of many men...continue reading…

Stop Blaming the Victims of Sexual Harassment

Sunday September 2, 2018                     By: Ingy ِEl Naggar

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Sexual harassment is Egypt’s illegitimate child, born out of chaos. The phenomenon that had been around for a while, has escalated drastically in the last 7 years. Our long-lived misconception has constantly wronged the female or, worse, it urged people to look the other way. Thus, sweeping the whole problem under the rug, feeding the harassers’ ego and confidence and turning them into limitless monsters who think it’s not only okay, but it’s also their right to cat call, touch and shame girls on daily basis.… continue reading …

 

Parliament Amends Inheritance Laws to Tackle Gender Discrimination

Saturday July 7, 2018                               By: Sara Mohamed

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Photo credit to Joya El Aggar

Like many women of her generation, Samia Medhat, a housekeeper for many New Cairo villas, says that while she is the breadwinner for the family, she has little control over the salary she receives.

Her husband, who “refuses to get off the couch”, demands she hands it over every month, keeping in line with societal norms which dictate that men are in charge of the family’s economic decisions. More importantly, however, when Medhat received her inheritance from her late father, her husband also took the money and used it for his own personal purposes.… continue reading …

 

Childhood Interrupted: Egypt issues a new law to criminalize child marriages

Saturday June 8, 2018                               By: Alexandra Kinias

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While most twelve years old girls go to bed dreaming of doll houses, ballet classes, crayons and scrapbooks, princesses in sequence dresses and tiaras, nightmares keep others awake in fear that the sunlight of the new day willsteal their childhood. In one of the most heinous crimes that are still committed to humanity, underage marriages are still practiced worldwide, Egypt included. … continue reading …

 

Egyptian Film “The Campaign” Screens at the Arab Film Festival in Michigan

Friday June 1, 2018

“Can an ad campaign change attitudes towards Sexual Harassment in Egypt?” 

33992935_1820499261322093_3801690495327928320_nThe short Egyptian film, The Campaign, by Egyptian-American director Jenny Montasir will be screened on Wednesday, June 6th at the Arab Film Festival organized by the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, MI. The Campaign will be paired with Tunisian feature film Beauty and the Dogs (Aala Kaf Ifrit). Montasir will also participate in a panel following the screenings to discuss sexual harassment and how to support transnational solidarity with movements like Me Too.… continue reading ….

 

Stop Objectifying Women

Sunday April 29, 2018                            By: Nagwan El Deeb

7DB5491E4299F8CD85A7ACDB3A56C79A981D277CIn spite of the vast efforts by various organizations and human rights groups to empower women, a significant percentage of women around the world continue to suffer from objectification.Needless to say, in many cases, objectification starts at home.

Parental beliefs, cultural factors and the goals parents set for their children determine their parenting styles. These styles, if not channelled in the right direction, may in turn create lasting psychological effects on the children…. continue reading …

 

Why we became the men we wanted to marry

Monday April 22, 2018                By: Menerva Hammad

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The Arabic term for spinsters is A’anes. It’s a despicable word, not to mention that it is an insult thrown in the face of unmarried women, especially when they reach their thirties.

Once women in Arab countries reach this age without getting married, it’s better to burry themselves in a faraway desert and pretend to be dead than live in the judgmental societies. Their surroundings will haunt them all the way until they get married… continue reading …

 

Meet Hind Elhinnawy, the ِِEgyptian Woman Who Defied the Social Norms

Saturday July 21, 2018                    By: May Allam

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After stirring up controversy in the Egyptian society for being the first young women to file a paternity suit in 2005, Hind Elhinnawy shied away from the public life to raise her daughter. Leena Alfishawy, daughter of Elhinnawy and actor Ahmed Alfishawy was born out of an Urfi marriage, which Alfishawy denied after Elhinnawy got pregnant. Instead of having an abortion, the young mother-to-be defied the social norms of women in her situation and fought for her daughter’s right to live.  In an unprecedented step, she publicly took Alfishawy to court, but he refused a court ruling to undergo a DNA test to prove his paternity… continue reading … 

 

The Stigma of Being “Samra”

Tuesday March 27, 2018      By: Menerva Hammad

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Samra is the term used to define a dark-skinned girl or woman in Arabic. We Egyptian girls, no matter where we grow up, we will learn that a fair skinned woman is beautiful and a samra is not. We will learn, that our naturally curly hair needs to be straightened, because otherwise it looks too messy, and girls with messy hair are not beautiful. We will be brainwashed that our dark eyes are less attractive, because blue, green and hazel eyes mesmerize people, but dark eyes simply don’t…. continue reading …

She Can- 2018, Unleashing the power of women in Egypt!

Thursday March 8, 2018              By: Jaylan El Shazly

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The highly anticipated “She Can – 2018 ” conference took place on the first weekend in March at the Greek Campus, Downtown Cairo. The event brought together over 28 speakers and hundreds of women and men to showcase successful female entrepreneurs and listen to their experiences. Under the warm Cairo winter sun, a main stage was set up throughout the two days.  Entrepreneurs, artists, activists, and scientists delivered Ted-style presentations that focused primarily on their professional journeys and the challenges they encountered in their careers….. continue reading …..

Jomana Ismail walks from Aswan to Cairo to raise awareness on population growth

Sunday February 11, 2018

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On January 16th, 2018, Jomana Ismail and her team members embarked on the “Crossing Egypt Challenge”. The team of 4 young athletes crossed Egypt on foot from Aswan to Cairo in 23 days, to raise awareness on population growth. The challenge was sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Royal Norwegian Embassy, Ministry of Youth and other private companies…. continue reading ….

 

A Sneak Peek at Entreprenelle’s – She Can 2018 – Mega Women Empowerment Event.

Saturday February 10, 2018

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As communities thrive when women are economically empowered, it’s imperative to invest in women, not just because it is right, but because it is important and necessary for the growth of healthier societies. With this understanding in mind, Rania Ayman founded, Entreprenelle, a mission driven enterprise that strives to bridge the gender and economic gap. It also aims to empower women with the needed skills by educating, training and linking them to all the resources possible.… continue reading …

 

FGM: The controversial issue with no solution in sight

Sunday January 7, 2018.         By: Nagwan El-Deeb

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It is shocking to learn that 87 percent of girls in Egypt are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), despite the efforts made by the government to fight this brutal violation of women’s bodies. A statistical report published in February 2016, ahead of the United Nations’ International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, stated that ‘’200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM in 30 countries; half of which live in only 3 countries – Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia’’… continue reading ..

 

Dinner With Doreya Shafik on her 109th Birthday (1908 – 1975)

Thursday December 14, 2017       By: Alexandra Kinias

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A reporter once asked me, if I could have dinner with one Egyptian woman, dead or alive, who would it be? My instant response was Doria Shafik.

Doria died when I was 11-years-old. She ended her life by ‘plunging to her death’ out of her balcony at the age of 67. I never heard of her before her death, and I am ashamed to admit, I didn’t learn about her accomplishments until decades later… continue reading ….

Some Things Can’t be Covered

Monday December 4, 2017     By: Alexandra Kinias

kkf-wmens-abuse-englishIt was not uncommon when I was growing up in Alexandria, Egypt to hear loud screams screeching the stillness of the hot summer nights, when people opened their windows to the cool Mediterranean breeze. Chilling sounds of women pleading to their husbands to stop or calling for help pierced the neighborhoods. And by sunrise, perpetrators walked freely in the streets, as if nothing had happened, while the bruised faces you met, with eyes averted, were the only proof of the heinous crime committed against these women….continue reading .

 

Opinion: Domestic Violence…”You Are Not Alone”

Wednesday November 29, 2017      By: Menna Doubal

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Body stamped with rainbow coloured bruises, dislocated shoulders, broken bones, battered souls, muted screams, silent cries, shattered voice and endless feelings of sorrow…

Since the beginning of time, women were considered unequal to men. They were viewed as slaves; properties. As a result, some men came to believe they have the right to control, manipulate, use and discipline them, in any way they see fit, …… continue reading …. 

Hues of Abuse

Saturday November 25, 2017          By: Salma Hamed

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“I’m Sorry. I’ll never do it again. I swear,” she frantically repeated as she backed into the kitchen corner, hands held up to protect her face.

“I’ll make sure you never do!”

The next day, Mona goes to work sporting a black eye, the makeup barely conceals it. No one at work asked her about it, they already knew. They whispered, they murmured and they gossiped, yet no one reached out to her. “It’s none of our business,” they said to themselves. “It’s a family dispute between a man and his wife.”….. continue reading ….

 

The Secret Everybody Knows

Saturday November 18, 2017               By: Farah Desouky

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Secrecy, shame and anxiety are among many feelings and behavioral patterns that accompany every woman during her period. The average female endures about 450 periods in her lifetime, which roughly calculate to about 2250 days, or 6 years.  This biological process is among other aspects in a woman’s life, like hair removal and sexual needs and desires, which aren’t socially acceptable to address publicly, not just in Egypt but worldwide.….. continue reading …

 

Gender Inequality in the Workplace

Thursday November 9, 2017              By: Rita Tadros

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Women all over the world have proven they can succeed in different walks of life. Not only have they caught up with men on the educational level, but some women have also surpassed them. Additionally, women are venturing into male-dominated fields, and are leading influential political roles. However, and in spite of all their achievements, gender inequality at the workplace is still hard to break…. continue reading …..

 

Breaking the Frame

Wednesday November 1, 2017
By: Nagwan El Deeb

“In order to liberate women, we need to liberate men’’. – Anne Hathaway

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Over the past few years, women in Egypt have been facing a myriad of significant issues such as FGM, sexual violence, marital abuse, unjust laws, lack of education in many rural and urban areas and deprivation of inheritance. It was difficult to decide which to tackle first, considering that many of them are equally pressing…. continue … 

 

How Women Are Contributing to Their Oppression

Sunday October 15, 2017
Written By: Farah Desouki

The problem with gender inequality is once you understand and notice it, it becomes impossible to ignore. This realization leaves you angry at society. As you hear it in everyday conversations with your parents, relatives, and friends, your anger escalates. You realize that the inequality and stereotypes were drilled into your head as well, since you were a little girl wearing pink clothes and playing with Barbie dolls. My anger at society led me to this conclusion….. continue reading …

On the Day of the Girl Child: Don’t Clip Their Wings

Wednesday October 11, 2017
By: Menna Doubal

8415723372_c595df3247_bMillions of girls around the world are deprived from their basic rights. They live in continuous struggle because of their gender. They are considered inferior to males and treated as such; deprived from education, exposed to violence, sex exploitation and child marriages. To raise awareness and bring social justice to these girls, the UN, since 2012, marked October 11th to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child…. continue reading ..

 

 

Dehumanized: How Sexism Still Exists!

Friday September 29, 2017
By: Nada Reda El-Kharbotly

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No matter how advanced people think they are or how far the evolution of women’s rights has taken us, equal rights for both genders have yet to be achieved. The bold truth is that our society is sexist; most people still believe that men are stronger, smarter, and make better leaders than women. As a devout feminist, I find that shameful. I believe in equal opportunities, rights, and treatment for men and women because simply, it is not our sex that defines us, … continue reading …

Single Moms: The Egyptian Warriors

Saturday September 9, 2017
By: Fayza Taha Yassin

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Single mothers are often viewed by the society as culprits destroying their marriages and their children’s sense of family and stability. However, from experience, the opposite is true. Some single Moms actually choose to become single to save what is left of their mental health and stability and ….. continue reading 

 

Schirin Salem Teaches Women Wen-Do to Fight Sexual Harassment

Friday August 18, 2017
By: Jaylan El Shazly

With the soaring rates of sexual harassment in Egypt, Schirin Salem, together with her friend Emmeline Lavender, launched Igmadi (Be Strong) Initiative in 2014, to empower women to stand up against harassment through Zumba fitness and Wen-Do self-defense training. With the series of events they organized across Egypt, Igmadi has since grown into a full-blown phenomenon. In spite of growing up in Germany, Salem had always been aware of sexual harassment. She experienced it during her visits to Egypt….. continue reading …. 

 

Ramblings Of A Working Mom

Sunday August 6, 2017
By Yasmin Helal

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The notion of achieving a work-life balance is truly flawed. It implies that work and life don’t meet. That life begins as work ends, which could never be true, regardless of what work really represents to us (a means to paying bills or a life purpose). Work is a part of life and a major one too, its impact reflects on most other aspects: on our health and wellbeing, financial security, and the time and energy we have for family and friends.

A few years ago, I became aware that a better and more realistic state to aspire to… continue reading ….

She Can – Entreprenelle’s Empowering Event

Thursday July 27, 2017
By: Jaylan El Shazly

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Undeterred by the blazing July sun, some 200 women gathered at the Greater Cairo Library to participate in ‘She Can 2017’, an event organized by Entreprenelle. A mission driven enterprise that strives to empower local women economically, Enreprenelle organized this event to bring together women who push their limits and want to develop themselves as future leaders and entrepreneurs…. continue reading …

Hadia Abd Elfatah Fights For Women’s Rights, One Issue At A Time

Saturday July 22, 2017
By Alexandra Kinias

dydWhile many  women her age dream of their prince charming, wedding gowns and nurseries, Hadia Abdel Fattah dreams of safer streets and workplaces for women, gender equality, and women empowerment. At the age of twenty-nine, she is a face of women advocacy. Her life, time and efforts are dedicated to various women issues. On top of her priorities is the fight against sexual harassment. As a woman who encountered sexual harassment at a young age, like most Egyptian women, it became personal ….continue reading ….

3 Egyptian Women Tell About Their Intercultural Marriages

Saturday July 1, 2017
WOE Team

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The number of Egyptian women marrying foreign men of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds is increasing, defying the social customs and traditions. In the cyber age, love is no longer restrained by geographical boundaries. Dating is made easier through social networks and dating sites. And with more women travelling abroad to study or to work, it became easier to meet the men of their dreams. Is it only love that attracts women to intercultural relationships, or is it also because women feel that foreign men treat them better than Middle Eastern men? …. continue reading ….

It’s Huda Shaarawi’s 138th Birthday. Anyone Celebrating It?

Friday June 23, 2017
By: Alexandra Kinias

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Women empowerment is not a favorable subject of discussion in Middle Eastern countries, and women born and raised in these misogynist societies live in perpetual struggle to achieve tangible results.

Recently, I was asked by a young woman about Huda Shaarawi’s (1887 – 1947) accomplishments. What I first thought was a cynical question, turned out to be a real serious one. It was shocking to learn that …. continue reading …. 

Women Rights and Status in Ancient Egypt

Wednesday June 14, 2017
By: Alexandra Kinias

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For thousands of years, the warm golden rays of the sun shined over the glorious Egyptian civilization that flourished on the banks of the river Nile. The Egyptians excelled in medicine, astronomy, architecture, agriculture and sciences, but what made their civilization phenomenal was that women were respected and cherished. Ancient Egyptian women enjoyed more rights and better status than their peers in the neighboring lands, and they enjoyed more rights than their contemporary daughters….. continue reading …. 

The Fight for Women Rights – Book Review

Saturday February 25, 2017
By Alexandra Kinias

419gsb65xrl-_sx311_bo1204203200_All the women Gameela consulted, in Iman Refaat’s intriguing first novel, advised her not to destroy her marriage. “The shadow of a man is better than a shadow of a wall,” they told her. “For the sake of your children [don’t ask for a divorce]. You will be rejected. Women will avoid you in fear of stealing their husbands. You will disgrace your family, ruin your reputation. Men make mistakes,” they asserted her, “but a good woman is the one who protects her home and her family.” …. continue reading …. 

Your Son the Feminist

Saturday February 18, 2017
By: Nadeen El Fekky

girlwithtoycarsjpgAt the age of six, I felt like a misfit. I didn’t wear dresses, nor did I buy the latest Barbie dolls. I was the first kid in the family and I always wished I had an older brother or cousin who’d play with cars and science kits with me. Being all alone, I felt like an outsider every time I tried mingling with girls my age, I wasn’t fond of tea parties or Disney princesses, so I hung around with boys and I even played football with them….. continue reading …

Why Marriages in Egypt are Becoming Disposable?

Thursday January 26, 2017
By: Alexandra Kinias –

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Marriage is a partnership with shared responsibilities. But in Egypt, women’s share exceeds more than their partners’. Most Egyptian men, pampered and spoiled by their mothers, expect a wife’s role to be an extension of their mother’s, with benefits. So, while many proceed with their immature bachelor lifestyle, women take responsibility of the house and kids, and work a full time job. As the concept of family is distorted in the minds of many men, most women complain that their husbands rarely, if ever, help with the house chores or spend time with the kids….continue reading …. 

Her Dream to See Dresses Worn Again

Monday December 12, 2016
Written by Alexandra Kinias

The nostalgia to the Sixties, the Egyptian golden era as labeled by historians, leaves many people reminiscing about its beauty and elegance that lives only in their memories. Perhaps what is missed mostly is the freedom to wear dresses inspired by Parisian fashion that women wore then and walk in harassment-free streets; an incomprehensible image to today’s generation who are not only subjected to this perpetual and demeaning phenomenon on daily basis, but also blamed for it…. continue reading ….

Letter to My Daughter

Sunday November 13, 2016
By: Amany Zayed

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My dear daughter,
Today as we celebrate your 10th birthday, an occasion even more special than the previous ones, I wrote you this letter to share some thoughts and feelings I couldn’t tell or show you before. Today marks the end of a phase in your life and the beginning of a new one. As tomorrow comes, you will be walking away from your childhood and taking your first steps towards adolescence. I have to admit how challenging it is to summarize ten years in few lines, so the best way to start is from the very beginning of me and you….. continue reading ….

Marriage: Our Liberator, Savior and Non-negotiable Future

October 21, 2016
By: Malak Sekaly

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The first time I was told that I’d be ‘free’ when I’m married my mind tried to carefully wrap itself around the words coming through my ears. What did my mother mean when she said that I’d be free? Free to do what exactly? Free to speak my mind, wear the clothes I prefer, or free to exist as I already do? … continue reading …. 

Beyond Labels

October 14, 2016
By: Noha Hassan —

What’s your label? Are you single, married, divorced or widowed? Are you childless, overweight, ugly, beautiful, tall or short? Are you easy to get, open- minded, conservative, veiled, unveiled, wealthy or poor? Throughout our lives, we as women are labelled, pigeon-holed and corralled. Why does it happen and what should we do about it?

This constant classification of women is a means of controlling our lives, limiting our potential and banishing us to secondary roles. It may not be pre-meditated, but the casual manner in which society labels women reveals a great deal about ….continue reading …