The Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists: 14 Female Candidates, two of whom are Running for the Head Seat

Journalists’ Syndicate Elections Witness a Leap in the Candidacy of Female Journalists

(Cairo, February 27, 2017) ECWR expresses its sincere pleasure for the candidacy of many female journalists in the elections of the Journalists Syndicate. ECWR encourages the female journalists and their colleagues in the syndicate to support and vote for the female leaders to highlight women’s role in the journalists syndicate and in the whole society. The Journalists Syndicate is preparing to hold elections on the head position and the renewal for the term of the syndicate board members. The nomination phase started in February 11^th till February 15^th, 2017. The syndicate’s general assembly will hold its meeting in March 3^rd 2017 to run the elections.

This elections witness a leap in the candidacy of female journalists, as 14 female journalists are running for the elections, out of 77 candidates, with 18%. Two of the candidates are running for the position of the Syndicate’s Head, Jehan Sharawy and Na’ema Rashed out of 7 candidates, 28.5%, which is unprecedented in the history of the Journalists Syndicate. 12 female candidates are running for the membership in the syndicate’s, out of 70 candidates, with 17%.

Compared to the previous elections, the percentage of female candidates has increased. As in the elections held in 2015, only 3 women, out of 50 candidates, were nominated; 6%. It is worth mentioning that Amina El-Saieed was elected as the first woman to be part of the syndicate’s board in December 1954. In 1968, Nawal Madkor also secured a member seat in the syndicate’s board.

Over the period (1975-1977), the board had three female members; Bahira Mohktar, Fatma Saied, and Amina Shafeek. For 12 years, women were not part of the Syndicate’s board. Till the year 2007 with the winning of Abeir El-Sa’adey, and Hanan Fekry in the year 2013.