Published: 28 March 2013
Country: Egypt
A prominent daily newspaper in Egypt, Al-Shorouk, has selected Safaa Essam El-Deen, one of the participants in the Media Diversity Institute’s (MDI) Parliamentary Reporting workshop, to be its editor-in-chief- for one day. In celebration of Mother’s Day, Safaa Essam El-Deen, was managing and supervising the print edition of Egyptian daily on 22 March.
She also wrote in the popular column section of the newspaper about the issue of a discrimination against female journalists. Safaa’s article was published on the pages reserved for the popular column in Al-Shorouk.
Calling for more women to hold editorial and decision-making posts in Egyptian media, Safaa wrote about the female journalists who were fighting and struggling for their rights.
In her editorial for the Egyptian daily, Safaa has mentioned two cases of her colleagues who have been subjected to systematic attacks from different regimes only because, as she wrote, “they are doing their journalistic work”.
“In the 2010 elections two female journalists have observed and reported on the violations of the voting process and fraud in favor of the Egyptian ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). Riham Saied was detained by NDP supporters in El-Sahel constituency. Asmaa Badwy has insisted on exposing the election fraud in 2010 in Al-Mahad EL-Fany constituency and she spotted and photographed the allowance of citizens from outside the constituency to vote for the NDP candidate.
Al-Shorouk’s female journalists continued to cover demonstrations and sit-ins which preceded and paved the way for the January 25th revolution in 2011. It was the day of the revolution which was another sign of the brilliance and glory of Al-Shorouk’s female journalists. They reported from different places covering the marches which have reached Tahrir square in Cairo and they witnessed the arrests of dozens of protesters.
Female journalists of Al-Shorouk newspaper have proved their ability to challenge the risks of professional duty. They reported on their story in front of a barrage of tear gas canisters and rubber bullets and they continued monitoring the events and abuses of successive governments until now” – wrote Safaa Essam El-Deen in her article in the Al-Shorouk edition on Mother’s Day.
Writing about her colleagues she has concluded: “My colleagues in the newspaper, I greet you and present those words to you, and I ask my bosses to open more spaces for professional female journalists.”
Safaa Essam El-Deen was one of the participants in the workshop on Parliamentary Reporting in Egypt organised by MDI. The workshop is part of the project “Inclusive Parliament: Building citizens’ participation in the political process in Egypt through better media, parliamentary and civil society interaction”, funded by the UK Embassy in Cairo.
One of the objectives of the MDI workshop on Parliamentary reporting held in December 2012 in Cairo was to understand the importance of inclusive political debates. Safaa Essam El-Deen and the other 13 participants had an opportunity to compare and exchange experience in political reporting in the UK and Egypt.
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