A stepping-stone for equality in Egypt

At a ceremony at the High Court building in Cairo on Tuesday, 30 Egyptian women were sworn in as judges, a move that drew that ire of some conservative Egyptians who argued that the appointments were against Islamic law, Reuters reported the next day.

President Hoshi Mubarak first appointed a woman judge in 2003 – a move which also drew criticism and debate in the Egyptian media – and while a senior Egyptian judge argued that the latest appointments were simply a calculated display mean to appease the West, the new appointments should be seen as stepping-stones for the promotion of women’s rights in a male-dominated society.

One of the new judges, Eman el-Imam, said: “I am so happy and proud. God willing, women will be able to show they deserve this.”

For the full article, click here.