Politics Egypt nominates Moushira Khattab for UNESCO director-general Egypt has recently nominated Ambassador Moushira Khattab, former minister of family and population, for the post of director- general of the United Nations Education, Scientic and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Khattab has a longstanding record of social, diplomatic and ministerial work as an active, leading woman and a world-renowned expert in the areas of development and human rights. The decision came after current director-general Irina Bokova announced candidacy for the UN secretary-general position. In the open air at the Egyptian MPs and several public gures. Museum, Prime Minister Sherif The dialogue which was about the Ismail announced Egypt’s ofcial importance of Egypt’s cultural role nomination of Ambassador Moush- in the world as well as its impact ira Khattab to the post of director- was followed by Ismail’s address general of the UNESCO. The an- who said Egypt was the world’s nouncement was made in an event origin of culture since the creation entitled “Egypt, UNESCO and In- of ancient Egyptian civilization. ternational Cultural Issues” attend- “Accordingly, it was essential for ed by ministers, ambassadors, Egypt to be nominated to such a (3) Iue (34) Aba Alwata post due to its cultural standing in matic and eld history of the Egyp- the world,” Ismail said. “I believe tian nominee whose experience is that Khattab will win as she is the consistent with the UNESCO mis- most qualied gure to such a post sion,” he added. due to her previous experience in In 1999, Moushira Khattab the eld,” he added. shifted to the sphere of defend- The premier announced the ing women and children’s rights nomination of Ambassador Khat- as Secretary General of the Na- tab, saying she can represent the tional Council for Childhood and culture in Egypt, the Arab World, Motherhood (NCCM). The suc- Africa and the Mediterranean cess of NCCM was crowned by Sea area. Earlier, the 27th African its transformation into the Ministry Union summit accepted Egypt’s of Family and Population and the request to support Ambassador appointment of Moushira Khattab Khattab for the post. Sherif said as Minister. Since 1999, she has that Egypt’s decision to eld Khat- engineered a paradigm shift in the tab came after approaching sev- respect, protection, promotion and eral countries which he termed as monitoring the implementation of “friendly and having weight” inside the rights of women and children the UNESCO. “Responses were in Egypt. Ambassador Khattab co- very positive in view of the diplo- ordinated national efforts targeting (4) Iue (34) Aba Alwata the elimination of all forms of dis- lence against children. Key action crimination and violence against plans were formulated including children with special emphasis on that on Girls’ Education, and Com- girls. Combating gender based bating Violence against Children, violence including female genital an “Egypt Fit for Children”, Rights mutilation (FGM) and child mar- Based Tracking of Public Budget- riage are some of the achieve- ing for Children (for the rst time ments engineered by Moushira ever in Egypt), and the National Khattab with heavy involvement Survey on Street Children. of civil society. This was brought The nomination of Ambassador about through a number of inter- Khattab to the top UNESCO post ventions including the Girl’s Edu- is a living testimony of women’s cation Initiative, providing quality gains in the Egyptian Constitution active learning to poorer and mar- of 2014. The rights approved by ginalized girls; adolescents’ repro- the new Egyptian Constitution for ductive rights and combating child women are unprecedented com- labor and child abuse and neglect. pared to those in previous Egyp- She initiated, led and coordinated tian constitutions. Article 11 of a national movement to support the Constitution adopted in 2014 the most comprehensive rights includes the following provisions based on legal reform for children; on violence against women, stip- crowned by the adoption of Law ulating that “The state shall seek 126 in 2008 bringing Child Law in to take necessary measures to closer harmony with the Conven- guarantee adequate women rep- tion on the Rights of the Child. resentation in parliamentary bod- The amended law criminalized ies, along the lines identied by trafcking of children, FGM, and most forms of violence and dis- the law”. The Egyptian Constitu- crimination. It raised the minimum tion also assigned a quota of “one age for criminal responsibility from quarter of the seats” for women 7 to 12 years establishing a new in the elected local councils. This system of child protection includ- was considered a positive step ing a restorative juvenile justice on the road to achieving women system. Khattab coordinated, in representation in parliament, and close collaboration with civil soci- changing the stereotypes about ety, the formulation of key national women in society. policy documents including na- Women’s participation in grass- tional strategies for the protection, roots Egyptian politics dates back rehabilitation and reintegration of at least to the 1919 revolution, street children, the elimination of when Egyptian women protested Child Labor, and combating vio- against the British occupation and (5) Iue (34) Aba Alwata demonstrated in the streets along- si had appointed an additional 14 side male members of their fami- female members. The 89 female lies. Groups of ‘gentlewomen’ be- members in parliament make up gan a social revolution when they 14.9 percent of available seats, rejected the “harem” and began which is considered a giant leap in organizing Egypt’s social services. women’s representation. Women’s After World War I, a movement to representation in the new parlia- emancipate women was organized ment is considered the highest and led by women from some of ever, followed by 12.7 percent in Egypt’s most prominent families. 2010, after 2012 only saw 2 per- They argued that the improvement cent of seats won by women, which of women’s condition would con- is even less than their representa- tribute to the general welfare. Cer- tion in 1975. tainly, the ideas of women’s eman- cipation had earlier roots in Egypt, State institutions support but in the mid-1940s they began Egypt’s 1st female nominee to take on more concrete and con- Foreign Minister Sameh troversial dimensions. The issues Shoukry expressed full support embraced then spanned the so- for the nomination of Ambassador cial, economic and political realms: Moushira Khattab for UNESCO’s the right of all women to vote; the director general post as elections responsibility of the State to set up will be held in early 2017. Shoukry children’s nurseries and guaran- said that a panel of advisors was tee social insurance and security; formed to support nomination of and equal pay for equal work. Af- Khattab, adding that the panel in- ter the war, there was a continu- cludes a group of experienced g- ous female presence in the stu- ures who have long experience dent and nationalist movements. in the eld of education, sciences In the 1946 nationalist demonstra- and culture. The panel includes tions which momentarily unhinged Founding Director of the Bibliothe- the Egyptian authorities, women ca Alexandrina Ismail Serageldin, not only participated, but some be- former culture minister Gaber As- came leaders. four, former antiquities minister After 2015, parliamentary elec- and Egyptologist Zahi Hawass and tions saw voters elect 75 women prominent scientist Farouk el Baz, out of a possible 568 seats in the former MP and diplomat Mustafa new House of Representatives, Al-Fiqi, columnist Abdel-Moneim women’s representation increased Said, a leading authority in infor- after President Abdel Fattah El-Si- mation and knowledge Society in (6) Iue (34) Aba Alwata Egypt Dr. Hisham Al-Sherif and to compete for the highest national former head of the Egyptian Writ- and international positions. In a ers’ Union Mohamed Salmawy, Dr. statement, NCW asserted its full Malak Zaalouk, Dr. Nadia Makram support of Khattab in continuation Ebeid, Mr. Nasser Abdel Latif, Mr. of its policy to back Egyptian wom- Hisham al-Khazendar, Mr. Amr en to assume leading positions. Badr, Ambassador Fatima al-Zah- Morsi said Khattab’s nomination raa Othman and Mr. Mohamed is an important achievement in the Farid Khamis. history of Egyptian women who The House of Representatives are qualied to assume top inter- also supports the nomination of national positions. Ambassador Moshira Khattab for “We support women in all po- the post of the director general litical elds, and Khattab’s nomi- of the UNESCO, Speaker Ali Ab- nation signies an achievement del-Aal said. During a parliamen- for an Egyptian woman who has tary session, Abdel-Aal noted the succeededin politics,” said Ghada House of Representatives will sup- Sakr, secretary of the parliament’s port Khattab’s nomination with all Culture and Media Committee, its capabilities. saying Khattab has had a prolic career, holding various positions Welcoming reactions to in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Khattab’s nomination Sakr indicated that a high pro- Ambassador Khattab’s nomi- le promotion campaign is being nation was strongly promoted by planned by the Egyptian Foreign the National Council for Women Ministry, which it proposes to pro- (NCW) which announced its sup- mote in Egyptian embassies in 58 port following the announcement countries, to support Khattab. that Irina Bokova had been nomi- The Egyptian Council for For- nated by her country to become the eign Affairs (ECFA) supports next UN Secretary General. The the nomination of Ambassador president of NCW, Maya Morsy, Moushira Khattab to the post of the said that Khattab’s nomination is a director general of the United Na- milestone in the history of Egyptian tions Educational, Scientic and women in highly inuential interna- Cultural Organization (UNESCO), tional positions, and is a testament ECFA Chairman Mounir Zahran to her honorable career.