Heba Atef, an Egyptian university student, has just made history, becoming the country’s first person with Down syndrome to ever serve as a flight attendant, Egypt Independent reports. Atef’s historic feat came as part of The Journey of Humanity flight, an initiative by Sudanese carrier Badr Airlines and the Smart Mind Training Center in Khartoum, in collaboration with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Journey of Humanity initiative, launched to mark the 2019 International Day of Disabled Persons, which falls on the 3rd of December, consisted of a special flight from Cairo to Khartoum, which ran from the 30th of November until Thursday the 5th of December. The initiative saw a group of passengers with Down syndrome accompanied by their families attend a number of events and workshops to support the differently abled and persons with disability. Atef, who studies at the Arab Open University’s Radio and Television Department, is also believed to be the first Egyptian woman with Down syndrome to pursue higher education. She made her career debut as a presenter at the Bokra Ahla (Tomorrow Is Better) Conference, where she addressed attendants with…
Egypt’s Climate Change Performance Recognized in CCPI Report
According to the Climate Change Performance Index report for 2019, Egypt has jumped to 24th place out of 57 countries. In 2018, Egypt ranked in 28th place, right behind Romania and Mexico. Despite this, the 2019 report indicates that the country’s policy rating still remains ‘low’. Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad attributed this progress to the gradual implementation of national policies which have improved Egypt’s fight against climate change, as per Egypt Today. First released in 2005, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is a tool which tracks various countries’ efforts and progress in tackling climate change. It is published by German developmental and environmental organization Germanwatch. It focuses on four core areas: greenhouse Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use and Climate Policy. In the last few years, Egypt has directed efforts into combating climate change on a private and governmental level with governorates gradually banning the use of plastic bags as well as major cities adopting ‘electric’ alternatives for public transportation or providing bicycles for commuting at discounted rates. In March 2019, Minister Yasmin Fouad announced a national plan to protect coastal areas from sea level rise based on a…
Women Victims of Violence: Where to Go and Seek Help in Egypt?
From 25 November until 10 December, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence annual international campaign is organized around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. Gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of the most prevalent issues facing women and girls, and is defined as as “violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately” and encompasses “physical, sexual and psychological violence, including threats and coercion.” In Egypt, women’s rights activists have been tirelessly fighting to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence for a long time. While there still remains many setbacks, the efforts of activists culminated in a national strategy that recognizes the problem with the ‘2015-2020 National Strategy for Combating Violence Against Women (NSVAW)’ that was launched in June 2015. Though domestic violence has yet not been criminalized, as in the case with rape, sexual harassment and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM), there are still many organizations and legal centres that work to offer help for a lot of women. Here are a list of places that offer legal advise, counseling, and psychological support. 1….
Tunisia Becomes First Country in the MENA Region to Introduce Sex Ed in Schools
Tunisia has become the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to introduce sex education into its school curricula, Tunisian news publication Kapitalis reports. The initiative comes as part of a collaborative effort by Tunisia’s Ministry of Education, the Tunisian Association for Reproductive Health (Association Tunisienne de la Santé de la Reproduction – ATSR), the United Nations Population Fund and the Arab Institute for Human Rights. “It is very important for children to be introduced to sex education so they are aware of themselves and others around them,” ATSR Executive Director Arzak Khaneetch said, according to The New Arab. The program, which will be piloted in 12 schools across Tunisia, targets children aged five and above and will reportedly be implemented starting January 2020, but not as an independent module, according to Khaneetch. Rather, sex education will be incorporated in a number of school subjects, namely Science, French, and Arabic. Khaneetch also added that the different sex education syllabi will focus on issues of consent and safety and will be taught in a “religiously sensitive” manner. She also noted that classes for prepubescent children will teach basic notions about…
Egyptian Shaabi Singer Shaaban Abdel Rahim Dies Aged 62
The Egyptian Musicians Syndicate announced this morning the passing of Shaabi singer Shaaban Abdel Rahim who had been pronounced dead earlier today at the Maadi Military Hospital, Al Masry Al Youm reports. Abdel Rahim, who died at the age of 62, was admitted to the hospital following his return from Saudi Arabia, where he had appeared on a wheelchair during a Riyadh Season concert due to a bone disease, according to local media. In a statement, the Musicians Syndicate extended its condolences and sympathies to the late singer’s family, adding that Egypt’s music community has lost one of its most prominent Shaabi artists. The syndicate also stated that it has begun making funeral arrangements for the late singer whose memorial service is set to take place at the Sayyidah Nafisa Mosque after Asr (afternoon) prayers, according to Youm 7. Abdel Rahim, who used to iron clothes for a living, rose to regional prominence following his controversial and politically contentious song, I Hate Israel. He was arguably one of the most celebrated and influential Shaabi singers to ever emerge from Egypt’s underground music scene. He is also largely credited for pioneering a new…
Free Family Planning Services to Be Provided Nationwide This December
The Ministry of Health and Population announced the launch of a free family planning and reproductive health campaign under the slogan “Your Right to Plan” in 9 governorates nationwide during the first two weeks of December, local media reports. In a statement, the ministry stated that this campaign comes within the framework of providing free services to facilitate family planning in cities and villages that are remote and deprived, which comes as part of the government’s “decent life” initiative to raise the usage of family planning methods. Sahar El Sonbaty, Head of Population and Family Planning Sector, added that the ministry will cooperate with the Integrated Reproductive Health Support Program to launch the campaign within two stages, from December 1 till 5 and from December 8 until 12 in Damietta, al-Beheira, Alexandria, Qalyubiya, Fayoum, Portsaid, Assiut, Sohag, South Sinai. Family planning specialists in fixed and mobile clinics, public hospitals, and maternity and child care centers will also carry out a medical examination on couples and provide the required medication. In addition, she pointed out that awareness campaigns will be organized as part of the “Ayamna Ahla” (Our Days Are Better”…
World AIDS Day: 13,000 Living with HIV in Egypt Despite Efforts to Combat Infection
In tandem with worldwide awareness campaigns, Egypt celebrates Worlds AIDS Day on December 1st, highlighting the reality and living conditions of HIV and AIDS patients in the country. This year, while the 31st celebrations commemorated the epidemic and the need to combat its spread in Cairo, World Health Organization Representative John Jabbour stated that the day was meant to serve as a reminder of the collective responsibility to end the suffering of people living with HIV as well as to provide the most effective means of prevention and treatment. According to Egyptian news outlet Al Akhbar Al Youm, member of the National AIDS Program, Dr. Faten Bayoumi stated the total number of people living with HIV was 13,000 in Egypt. Out of this number, 7,800 were receiving antivira therapy medication (ART) after having detected their status in 2019. In the age group of 25 to 35 years, those who voluntarily tested and discovered their status were 42 percent. However, this number is at odds with UNAIDS’ official statistics which estimates that, in 2018, 22 000 adults and children cases were living with HIV with 31 percent undergoing ART. Since, 2010,…
20 Years MAAT Festival: Egypt’s First Independent Dance Company Celebrates 20th Anniversary
MAAT for Contemporary Art will be celebrating its 20th anniversary from the 7th until the 21st of December, 2019. Named 20 Years MAAT, the festival will hold a number of events—from talks and screenings, to dance performances and live music—across Cairo to mark the occasion. Founded in 1999 by Egyptian artist and UNESCO Dance Council member Karima Mansour, MAAT is considered Egypt’s foremost contemporary art organization, launching the country’s first independent dance company the same year. The company has collaborated on theatre and film projects and produced over 25 dance performances by local and international choreographers and artists, some of which went on to tour the world. Mansour then founded the MAAT|Cairo Contemporary Dance Center (MAAT|CCDC) in 2012, a dance space that hosts Africa and the Middle East’s first full-time contemporary dance school. From Saturday the 8th of December until Thursday the 12th, the 20 Years MAAT festival will hold four short dance performances developed and produced by the school’s current students and alumni. The showcase will take place at AUC’s Falaki Theatre. The festival will also include showcases from MAAT’s Outreach Program, a project that saw the school collaborate…
Sudan Abolishes its Public Order Law in a Move Towards Women Empowerment
In a bid towards women empowerment, Sudan abolished its ‘Public Order’ law – a law that dictated how women dress and act in public -which was put in place by ousted President Omar Al Bashir. The ‘Public Order Act’ was instated in 1996 in Khartoum, seven years after the Islamist backed party of Bashir took power through a military coup. It punishes the violators through flogging, heavy fines and up to five years imprisonment. According to human rights organizations, the Bashir regime used the Public Order Act as a weapon against women in particular. Security forces arrested women for “the most insignificant reasons”, such as attending private parties, wearing trousers, not wearing hijab in public, or mingling with men. Sudan’s state news agency SUNA said that after a 14-hour session on Thursday, the decree was abolished alongside the National Congress Party – Bashir’s ruling regime. On his official Twitter account, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamadok described the law as “notorious for being used as a tool of exploitation, humiliation & violation of rights. Many have used this law for financial & psychological exploitation.” He added that “Along the way a lot…