Cairo 21 June 2015
ECWR welcomes the appointment of the first woman to head municipality in Alexandria
The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) welcomes the appointment of the first women to head municipality in Alexandria. The Governor of Alexandria Hani Meseiri appointed Soad Helmy on Saturday to ever take over a municipality head position of the city’s central district.
This is considered an important step in women empowerment in decision making and it goes in line with article 11 of the 2014 Constitution, “The State shall also guarantee women’s right 8 of holding public and senior management offices in the State..”
As well as article 14 as it stipulates that “public offices are a competence-based right for all citizens without bias or favoritism..”
Other Egyptian women held this position in other governorates such as Fahima Saleh took the municipality head position in Cairo’s West Nasr City district in 2010.
Azza Sherif was appointed the head of Cairo’s Dokki district in 2013, and Magda Abdel Hamid for Nozha district in Cairo as well in 2013.
Those women have proven their efficiency and capability to resolve problems and capacity for civic engagement.
Thus, ECWR calls for other governorates to appoint more women in decision making positions as there are a lot of efficient reliable women already working in state institutions.
Moreover, ECWR calls for a quota of not less than 35% in decision making positions.
