After four months in solitary confinement in a male prison, Malak al-Kashif, a transgender woman who was arrested for being a part of a “terrorist group”, was released yesterday as per the decision of the Supreme State Security Prosecution. News of the 19-year-old being arrested at her home on March 2019 sparked a social media movement demanding her release as fears of the possible threats she may face once placed in a male detention center increased. According to an article by Mada Masr, at least 70 people who took part in the demonstrations have been arrested, but 10 have since been released. Malak was arrested after participating in the anti-government protests triggered by the horrific train explosion at Cairo’s Ramsees railway station back in February 2019. However, after her arrest by the National Security Agency, Malak’s location remained unknown to her family and lawyer. It was later revealed that she was confined in Tora prison As soon as news of her arrest circulated on social media, people expressed their concern for her vulnerable position given that her national identity card and official papers still list her as a male. Malak…
Egypt’s National Council for Women Visit Women’s Prisons to Ensure Quality of Care
In an effort to strengthen its collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Interior, a delegation from the National Council for Women (NCW) in Egypt visited women’s prisons in Al Qanater in the presence of Dr. Ahlam Hanafi, a member of the Council, and a group of human rights officers, according to a statement by the National Council for Women. In a statement, NCW said that Dr. Ahlam Hanafi provided important advice on the significance of treating women with care and taking into account the social, humanitarian and health factors, ensuring that the women will be rehabilitated to return back to society as healthy citizens. The delegation also observed the various aspects of care provided to the women in prisons, as NCW noted in the statement. World Health Organization (WHO) published a report in 2009 on women’s health in prison, which raised issues of gender inequality and insensitivity towards the treatment of women in prisons, and its general neglect by the public. Since their foundation, prisons were built to cope with the needs of the male majority, yet with the recent rise of women in prisons, there has been lack of attention…
‘Opera Aida’ to Be Performed at Iconic Hatshepsut Temple
Opera Aida, the most famous four-act opera inspired by ancient Egypt, will be performed at the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut in October. The beloved and popular opera has often been performed abroad, namely in Europe and in the United States. It was also performed in Egypt, most notably at Giza, before the pyramids. The decision to show ‘Opera Aida’ on October 26 and 28 is to promote tourism in Luxor. Most recently, the Ministry of Antiquities and the Ministry of tourism have been attempting to revive Egypt’s top natural and archeological sites to boost tourism outside of Cairo. With an orchestra which will be directed by Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyni, the performances are set to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Suez Canal’s opening as well. Accordingly, the performances aim to inspire high attendance, with marketing campaigns launched in a number of European and Asian countries. The city also hopes to attract as many as 5,000 tourists as well as high-profile figures such as “kings, presidents, politicians, diplomats, businessmen, and artists” as per ANSAMed news outlet. Aida will be performed in the space before the mortuary temple of the…
Cairo to Begin Planting Gardens on Rooftops
Cairo’s governor Khaled Abdel Aal announced a new initiative on Sunday to plant gardens on all the rooftops on Cairo’s buildings as part of the governorate’s sustainable development plan. The announcement was made during a conference with representatives of ‘Leaders of Sustainable Development’ and ‘Homeland acknowledgement 2030’ initiatives who were founded to complement Egypt’s Vision 2030. Leaders from both initiatives will be on the forefront of the project by developing awareness campaigns on the importance and positive effects of rooftop gardening. While the residents of the buildings will not carry the plantation cost, the governor highlighted that they are responsible for maintaining the garden. Cairo has been getting a face lift recently, with several national initiatives taking place to beautify the capital. The capital is currently undergoing another development project that was announced last May with the aim of ending slums and informal housing units by the end of the year. The development project has been allocated EGP 10 billion to renovate around 40,000 housing units, the governor announced. The units are going to be organized urban developments to relocate those living in the illegal unconstructed settlements. Abdel-Aal stressed that the…
After 84 Years, Dahshour’s Bent Pyramid Opens to Visitors
In a wider move to boost tourism to Egypt’s various archeological site, the ministry of Antiquities has opened the bent pyramid of the Old kingdom ruler Senefru in Dashour to the public. The bent was closed for major development and renovation; it is the first time that it opens to visitors since 1965, as per Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Enani. The pyramid, one of the key highlights of Dahshour, is registered in UNESCO’s World Heritage list. It affectionally got its name from the sudden shift in its incline, about halfway through the construction. It was meant to look like its northern counterparts in Giza, however, the pyramid’s instability suffered as it was being built on silty clay, thus its angle shifted from 54 degree to 43. The pyramid, intended to be the burial place of the founder of the fourth dynasty King Senefreu, reflects an important stage of the development in the construction of the royal tombs. Following the step pyramid of Djoser, it was meant to be the first ‘true’ pyramid in perfectly triangular form. In terms of renovation work, Secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri…
‘Bashkatib’: Community Media Platform Run By Young Journalists in Marginalized Areas
The idea of dialogue and storytelling in journalism has often taken a step back in the face of more centrist and national media conglomerates that largely control the narrative and focus of the content, including the entrance of regular individuals from different regions in the industry. Journalism today essentially follows a one-way transmission of information. By taking the role of the storyteller, journalists claim a position of authority and possession over the story. It’s their story to tell, and they decide how it will be written and told. But there needs to be more stories, thoughts and expressed by the original owners of the content, and more freedom and access should be given to them to help bring awareness to other issues in society that would not have been well articulated by a journalist living in central Cairo. ‘Bashkatib’ is an initiative that attempts to change this traditional method of producing content from one voice and one center, opening the doors to other people in socially, economically and geographically marginalized areas in Egypt to produce their own content and express their own creativity and thoughts. “From my point of view,…
Egypt Launched ‘Decent Life’ Initiative to Assist People Living in Underprivileged Villages
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi launched the initiative ‘Decent Life’ in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Solidarity to help 32 million people living in Egypt’s underprivileged villages. With EGP 2 billion, Egypt will aid 377 villages in 11 different governorates in the first phase of the initiative, specifically those in Upper Egypt where 75 percent of the residents live below the poverty line. The first phase, which began early this year, is currently on-going. The aid consists of providing drinking water lines, ceiling roofless buildings and houses, and donating blankets and furniture to at least three million people in the governorates. “The country is in dire need of radical solutions to solve the problem of poverty in Egypt. Although these initiatives are important and people need them, they are not a solution; they just act like tranquilisers,” Nevine Al-Qabbag, deputy at the Ministry of Social Solidarity, told the press. Medical teams will visit villages and offer medical assistance and surgeries to those who need it. People with physical disabilities will be provided with prosthetic devices, wheelchairs and crutches. Al-Qabbag said that part of the project is to construct 15…
“Fish & Chips”: a Charming and Cozy Seafood Restaurant in Downtown Cairo
Are you fishing for undiscovered food gems in Cairo? It is almost impossible not to notice the blue sign and flowery exterior of “Fish & Chips” restaurant on Sharia El-Bostan, even when wandering mindlessly down the busy Downtown street towards Mohamed Naguib metro station. There, situated among the countless regular Egyptian food outlets and juice bars, appears a door that cannot but look inviting to locals and passersby alike. For this reason, we return there one evening on a whim with the intention of grabbing a bite, and curious to see how its interior lives up to the promising façade. “Fish & Chips” is a small restaurant with around six tables of varying sizes, most of which appear to be occupied on this evening, making us wonder for one second whether a phone call to reserve may have been necessary. Yet we are immediately greeted with attentive smiles and led to a small table near the entrance, only to be offered to replace it with the one by the window, once vacated. A kind-looking woman brings us the menu and then proceeds to show us a selection of mouthwatering photos…
Meet the Young Entrepreneurs Who Decided to Ditch Corporate Life For Startups
There is no doubt by now that the startup economy has been rapidly growing over the past few years. According to estimates from the 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), the global startup economy has generated $2.8 trillion in economic value, seeing a 20 percent increase from before the two-year period. While the major startups are based in the developed economies, many developing countries have recognized the economic transitions taking place and the bigger role technology continues to play in economies, even overtaking oil and gas companies. In Egypt alone, the growth rate of startups reached 7% in 2018, which represents 22% of total startups investment in the Middle East and North Africa. Last week, Changelabs organised their kick-off event in collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation incubator Fekretak Sherketak to announce the 10 Egyptian start-ups selected to be a part of their 6-week accelerator program. Changelabs is a program that educates, inspires and ignites young entrepreneurs to ensure that their startup is market and investment ready and can deliver a lasting impact. Over the last ten years, more than 100 startups have graduated from Changelabs program…