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Over 100 female judges presided over a State Council hearing for the first time in Egypt’s history, signaling the country’s next step toward female empowerment, as well as corresponding to the theme of this year’s Women’s Day, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow. “
Over the course of two ceremonies, 98 ladies were admitted to the State Commissioners’ Authority circuits under a presidential decree. And they attended their first council sessions, a powerful body that analyzes draft legislation and rules on administrative problems and judicial disputes in which the state is a participant.
Until Saturday and Sunday’s sessions, the State Council was one of two Egyptian judicial bodies with all-male benches.
This move implies that they have received all of the rights and jurisdictions of their fellow judges in the council by sitting on the bench in a judge’s capacity.
“Today is a historic day for all Egyptian women,” Yasmine Helmy, one of the State Council’s presiding justices, stated on Sunday.
On Saturday, Maya Morsi, head of the National Council for Women, attended the ceremony, where she paid tribute to Egyptian lawyer Aisha Rateb in a passionate speech.
Rateb was a distinguished politician who became Egypt’s first female ambassador to Denmark after serving as Minister of Insurance and Social Affairs from 1974 to 1977.
Women are among Mr. El Sisi’s most important constituency. Since taking office in 2014, he has increased the penalty for sexual harassment and rape, as well as outlawed FGM. A constitutional reform passed in 2018 allowed women 25% of parliamentary seats, a hitherto unheard-of proportion in Egypt. Furthermore, Mr. El Sisi’s Cabinet includes a record eight female ministers.
The event was commended by advocacy organizations, government officials, and female legal workers as a major step forward for Egypt’s Vision 2030, a national plan that has become one of Mr El Sisi’s government’s pillars.
