Following days of confusion and social media uproar, American female Rapper Nicki Minaj has pulled out of a planned performance in Saudi Arabia due to concerns over LGBT and women right issues. The artist has released a statement in which stated “after careful reflection I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest” as per the BBC. “While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.” Minaj was addressed concerns from human rights group over her intended performance, including from US-based Human Rights Foundation which recommended withdrawal. On her official Instagram account, Minaj has invited her fans to voice their opinions. While many have applauded her decision to not perform, confirming that women were still kept under harsh living conditions and a strict system of guardianship, many users lamented the lost opportunity and have urged her to not stand by media portrayal of Saudi Arabia. Some…
Entreprenelle and the British Council Collaborate to Encourage Women Entrepreneurs in Upper Egypt
The percentage of startups that have at least one female founder is relatively low globally. Crunchbase’s study shows that of all the companies in the world, only 15.8 percent have at least one female founder. In Egypt, despite the rise of entrepreneurship over the past decade, females still do not represent the majority, with its percentage of women entrepreneurs being the lowest in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region and Sub-Saharan Africa countries. Women face different challenges in the business environment, like lack of access to financial and non-financing services, lack of access to markets, business networks, as well as social norms that demand women to prioritize home responsibilities. There has been an increase in the number of businesses owned by women, mainly in Egypt’s big cities such as Cairo and Alexandria, due to better access to markets and business networks and more awareness about the benefits of entrepreneurship. Yet there still needs to be a greater focus on women in other governorates of Egypt, who need this assistance and attention. Entreprenelle, a social enterprise that aims to economically empower women through education, training and by linking them to…
“Ugandan Night on the Nile”: Celebrating Historical Ties and Promoting Future Collaboration
On 1 July, Ugandans and Egyptians were invited to board a Nile cruise ship that was transformed into a mini Uganda for the night. The main idea of the festive event, which included a number of Uganda-related exhibits and shows, was to give Egyptians a taste of the diverse sites Uganda has to offer and motivate them to visit the country. Organized by IBIS, an Egyptian company that promotes Egypt through tourism, investments and social and educational development, and hosted by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), an agency of Uganda’s Ministry of Tourism that contracted IBIS for the occasion, this party in Cairo was only one in a series of related activities intended to bring the two Nile-connected countries closer together, primarily in the field of tourism. “This is an ongoing campaign to promote tourism and collaboration between Uganda and Egypt; actually, this is just the start,” Nancy Hadi, Founder and Managing Partner of IBIS, and representative of Uganda’s Ministry of Tourism in Egypt told Egyptian Streets. On a grander scheme, this series of events that were strategically held during AFCON 2019 and attended by a Ugandan delegation of government…
Three Co-Working Spots in Cairo That Will Help You Be More Productive
Since it is not easy to find a cafè with a stable internet connection or one that is quiet enough to focus on work, Cairo has over the past years become a host to several co-working spots across the city, which are helping many people become more productive. Co-working spaces became more popular recently as the ideal location for group work. Many starting entrepreneurs opt for these spaces to work on their businesses, not only since co-working spaces are a great place to work but because they also often provide networking opportunities with other businesses. Al Maqarr Located in Heliopolis, Al Maqarr is one of the most popular co-working spots in Heliopolis and for neighboring districts. It was founded by Abdel Kader Ahmed. The space is not only great for working and hosting events but also organizes training sessions for new entrepreneurs. Al Maqarr is also known for its social events which offer great opportunities to network with others. The independent rooms fit 15 people while the entire place fits 120 people. Al Maqarr offers services like personal lockers, multimedia display system, printing station, a fully-equipped kitchen as well as…
Yemenis Fleeing the ‘Forgotten War’ Find Themselves Forgotten in Cairo
“On September 10, after four months of trouble in Egypt from dealing with residency, to travel dates and prison, I left Egypt at dawn,” writes Ameen Taky, a 32 year old former furniture salesman from Yemen, in a post on his personal Facebook page. In a series of 27 statuses, Ameen has written about his journey from his home in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa to the coastal Moroccan city of Nador. Although Ameen headed straight to Cairo as he fled the war in Yemen, Egypt turned out not to be his final destination but a year and four-month long layover. As a Yemeni national in Egypt, Ameen found little help or support in his efforts to build a new life, as avenues at the UNHCR led to a dead end, while residency issues and elusive work permits fenced him into a position of insecurity. Frustrated with the conditions in Egypt, he decided eventually to continue his search elsewhere, setting out on a journey that has taken him through Mauritania, Mali and Algeria until he reached Morocco where he still lives now, hoping one day to reach Europe. Ameen registered…
Egypt Holds First Ever National Figure Skating Championship
Egypt held its first ever national figure skating competition in Cairo on Saturday at Sun city Mall in Heliopolis, with both Egyptian and foreign figure skaters in the tournament. The organizers also invited referees from the International Skating Union. Though an unfamiliar and unknown sport in Egypt, head of the Egyptian National Council for Sport, Emad Al-Banany, revealed that Egypt is trying to promote the sport and is planning to organize a national tournament in the near future in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Egyptian Olympic Committee, in hope that participants can qualify for future editions of the Winter Olympics. Ice Skate Egypt (ISE) was founded in December 2017, which is the governing body regulating and promoting the sport of figure skating in Egypt. ISE held skating shows in Egypt before with great attendance, the first one was in July 2018 at Sun City Mall in front of 600 attendees, choreographed by Coach Monica Hale. The second one was by the group Little Stars on Ice inDecember 2018 in Soho Square Sharm El-Sheikh, titled ‘The World in My Eyes’ choreographed by Coach Nina Ulanova, former Junior…
Two Egyptians Launch a Weight Loss Coaching Platform to Solve Egypt’s Obesity Problem
After realizing how frustrating and time consuming it is to visit nutritionists and coaches in Egypt, two young Egyptians Eman Wed and Kareem Fares digitize the weight loss experience by launching a platform that connects you to a doctor and an online coach to skew clients towards their weight loss and fitness results. ‘Well Fit GO!’ is a psychology based weight management and healthy lifestyle management app. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that 19 million Egyptians, who account for 35 percent of Egypt’s adult population, are bordering obesity. Despite the conclusion of the study in 2017, the numbers are assumed to have continued to increase because no viable measures have taken place. “Dietary insufficiencies are superseded by other reasons related to living conditions and to the low quality of ingredients making up the diet of most Egyptians,” UK-based English publication The Arab Weekly reports. In the region, there is a shortage in the number of nutritionists who offer quality service. Additionally, people are in the habit of visiting doctors based on other people’s experiences. ‘Well Fit GO!’ aims to help minimize the obesity rate…
Women’s Rights Movement ‘Surviving Hijab’ Organizes First Event in Cairo
Recognized as one of the largest women’s movements in the world after winning the Facebook Community Leadership Award in September 2018, ‘Surviving Hijab’ is planning to hold its first ever event in Cairo at Greek Campus on July 19. The event will include panel discussions, a bazar several workshops, and beauty and makeup tips for Hijabis, featuring renowned Hijabi celebrities and influencers like Sara Sabry, Isra Shaker, Marwa Hassan and Doaa Farouk. Launched in 2014, Surviving Hijab is an initiative founded by Egyptian athlete and first ever Hijabi Nike brand ambassador Manal Rostom, who hoped to create a platform for Hijabi women to voice their concerns and stories, and to encourage them to stick to their decision to veil despite society’s misconceptions. “Since nobody likes to go through it alone, I have decided to create this group to urge those who are veiled (and those who are considering in these hard times) to continue to hold on…despite the hardships, in order to motivate each other, push ourselves to hold on and perhaps even become better veiled Muslim women,” Rostom says on the Facebook group page. The group quickly grew to become…
#ATeamOfHarassers: Egyptians Are Right to Still Seethe at MoSalah
For months Egypt has been preparing for AFCON 2019, however, in the last two weeks, social media has been flooded with news of Amr Warda’s sexual harassment and the unbelievable support he was given by Egypt’s national football team, the Pharaohs, as well as the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). Over a week ago, amidst allegations and rumours of sexual harassment which threatened to disrupt the ‘performance and focus’ of the national team during its matches, the EFA decided to dismiss Amr Warda for disciplinary reasons. In a statement, the EFA has justified its dismissal of the 25-year-old midfielder, who also plays for Greek club PAOK, after talks with him concerning ‘his behaviour’. The EFA’s announcement came days after the player was accused of cyber sexual harassment by a number of women who posted of their encounters and communication with the footballer; the latter’s provocative and insisting messages sparked debate about fan-professional athlete relations as well as boundaries. Claims of sexual harassment against Warda began through Merhan Keller, an Egyptian-British model, who shared messages with the player. With one of the women who came forward with the allegations, the player went…