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Women
in the Media Past - Present - & Future... A
Case Study of Egypt A
Paper for Presentation of the Regional Conference on Arab Women Journalists October
24-27, 2002 By:
Sonia
Aly Dabbous (Ph.D.) Assistant
Editor Akhbar El Yom And
Affiliate
Professor of Journalism American
University in Cairo
In the 2000 IWNF survey a clear majority of respondents 98% said that
women face professional barriers that their male colleagues do not. Perhaps,
the most substantial obstacles women face sterm from cultural and social
stereotypes about what is appropriate for women. The most difficult of these
is that women should not work outside the house; this has a tremendous impact
on women journalists trying to move up the ladder. One of the most daunting
barriers that women journalists face is the dual challenge of balancing work
and home responsibilities these stops them from further professional training.
This paper will look at a case study of Egyptian Women in the media. I
will start with the early years of the nineteenth century in Egypt which
witnessed the rise of a considerable number of women’s magazines, most of
which did not last long. However, their appearance indicates the development
of a woman’s appraisal. The paper will briefly look at the New Social and
Political role of women’s publications, early feminist expressions, women
representations in the press syndicate board, early women fighters, and the
women’s press in the post-revolutionary era.
The second part will be devoted to a look at current situation of women
in the Egyptian media.
The final part of this paper will focus on the future of Arab Women in
the media, in the age of new technologies, the age of the Internet, and
satellite digital devices. A NEW
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ROLE In
the early years of the nineteenth century, women’s magazines and newspapers
started to have a great social and political role, “Al Rinana” which was
issued in 1907 by Gamila Hafez, a Turk, has on its front pages the Motto,
“Egypt for Egyptians.” Another women’s magazine “Magallet Targiate Al
Marra” founded by Fatma Rashid, an Egyptian, was issued in order to support
the first women’s association in Egypt. “Al Maraa,” magazine used a
photograph of the pharonic princess “Nifretiti,” as its logo.
It appealed to the working women, who were on scholarships abroad who
found this magazine a reflection of their thoughts and feelings. Among the
many interesting articles were the articles on the Egyptian women’s
liberation movement, which the magazine gave its full support by supporting
all the actions taken by the women and answering back all the attacks against
the movement. The publisher herself, Balsam Abd Elmalak, took part in this
movement.
Many other women magazine followed all supporting the liberation of the
Egyptian women and many had the word “Nahda” (Renaissance) before their
names like: (El Nahda El Nisaya) “Women’s Renaissance” and (Nahdat El
Saidaddate El Missriate) “The Egyptian Women’s Renaissance.”
As the process of development of the women’s press moved forward,
their magazines and newspapers began to call for clear social and political
rights. Over 33 women magazines were published some of which had to stop
publication due to financial problems. TOWARDS
A FEMINIST EXPRESSION:
The existence of early feminism was seen as an important force for
social change in Egypt. Examples of these are women feminist writers like,
Malak Hifni Nassif, who wrote under the pen name of “Bahisat El Badia”
i.e. (Searcher of the Desert). She was among the leading Egyptians to use the
press in advocating for her ideas on marriage, divorce, unveiling, and
education in the early 19th century. Her aim was to use her
writings for women’s emancipation with an integral part of national
resistance. Nassif believed that education for women was a necessity as was
her freedom as a woman. In 1911, she spoke in the Egyptian legislative
assembly putting forward a program for the improvement of women’s position.
Another example of a feminist writer was Mounira Thabet who was
referred to as the (Young Rebel). In 1926, she was the owner of a weekly
newspaper for women called “Al Amal” (The Hope). It was a political
newspaper that had on its front page a statement that says: “A Newspaper
that Defends Women’s Political Rights.” The objectives of the paper were
to educate liberate, give women their political and social rights, issue laws,
fight social corruption, and allow women to communicate with her fellow women
around the world. In fact, most ministers, conservative thinkers, and
religious men conducted very strong campaigns against this paper, but this
never stopped Thabet’s publishing of the paper. L’EGYPTIENNE
(THE EGYPTIAN) Among
the magazine advocating for women’s rights was “L’Egyptienne” which
was founded in February 1925, by the leading women’s leader Hoda Sharawi,
this paper was unique in that it appeared in French and addressed the upper
class, as well, and it was also sent abroad. The paper was a monthly, and it
published bout 1,000 issues, 200 of which were sent abroad. The magazine,
which was the organ of the Egyptian feminist union, had on its front page a
drawing of a lady removing the veil. WOMEN REPRESENTATION IN
THE PRESS SYNDICATE BOARD
The
Egyptian Press Syndicate was first founded on the thirty first of March 1941,
its members started with owners and journalists, however, membership, was not
necessary to practice journalism. There were 120 members three of which were
women. Today, there are about 3500 members in the press syndicate of a quarter
of who are women. The syndicate has a council of 12 journalists elected every
two years. The first Egyptian women to join the council in 1955 was Amina El
Said, one of Egypt’s famous woman writers, and since then there has always
been one women among the 12 council members, and as one council member said,
“Electing a women has always been difficult, since over three quarters of
the members of the press syndicate are men who still could not accept the idea
of a woman being a leader. It
is important to say that in order for the women to get a fair representation
in the press syndicate council, they should have at least three seats for
women, this has only happened once in 1975 when three women were elected. “FATMA
EL YOUSSEF,” ANOTHER WOMEN: A “FIGHTER” Another
woman a journalist with great achievements was “Fatma El Youssef.” A
leading woman in the male dominated world of political journalism. Her
magazine “Rose El Youssef,” which she started in October 1925, remains in
circulation until today. Although the main aim of her magazine was not the
defense on woman’s rights, yet she conducted the strongest attacks on
Egypt’s Royalty, British occupation, and corruption. She faced many problems
to which she bravely stood up to give an example of how women could never give
up her journalistic mission. “BINT
EL NIL” DAUGHTER OF THE NILE Doriya
Shafik, a leading Egyptian feminist journalist started her journal “Bint El
Nil” (Daughter of the Nile) in 1945; the choice of the name indicated
patriotism. In 1948, she started the “Bint El Nil Union,” a strong
feminist union, and in 1951, she also formed a political party named “Bint
El Nil.” Both the party and the paper were closed by Nasser in 1957. All
these aimed at getting women’s political rights by using all possible means.
The magazine continued publication on monthly bases until 1957, and strongly
advocated women to struggle for political rights. Doriya Shafik’s call for
political rights continued even after the 1952 Revolution. In
general, we could say that women’s participation in the press involved a lot
of challenges especially in the pre-revolutionary era (Pre-1952). WOMEN
PRESS IN THE POST REVOLUTIONARY ERA After
the 1952 revolution, the press became part the state machinery, apart from the
very few women’s magazines, which outlived the first years after 1952. All
the women’s press in Egypt was part of the state machinery. Most women’s
magazines wrote about beauty tips, social affairs, and tips for working women.
Some newspapers devoted a weekly page for women’s affairs; other newspapers
began to devote only a section to women’s affairs. “Al Ahram” had two
columns on its back page for women. News of women’s political rights and
achievements began to be highlighted. “EVE”
THE FIRST POST REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN’S MAGAZINE In
1954, “Hawaa” (Eve), Egypt’s first post-revolutionary women’s
magazine, started publication. The target readership of the magazine was both
men and women. When it first started, its circulation was 175,000 issues in
1954, and it increased to reach 200,000 before 1967 war. During the period
from 1967-1970, it went down to about 175,000. The
style and substance of the magazine consists mainly of articles and columns on
health and beauty. Family affairs, fashion, letters to the editor, problem
page, a short story, house decoration, food receipts, and other light
features. Hawaa
faced very little competition, since it was the only women’s magazine from
1954 until 1964 when Akhbar published a women’s magazine “Hiya” (She)
designed very closely to the French magazine “ELLE,” it became very
popular especially among the elite women. However, only 21 issues were
published after which the magazine seized publication. Al
Ahram started publishing a women’s magazine “Nisf El Donya” (Half of the
World,) in 1989 a magazine that addresses the working Egyptian woman. This
magazine contains a variety of topics covering all aspects of life legal,
religious, political, social affairs, and their relation to women. The
participation of women in Egypt’s press today is not confined only to
women’s pages or women’s magazines. Egyptian women journalists at the top
editorial or managerial levels are very scarce if compared to their actual
numbers, which is around a quarter of the total number of the members of the
Egyptian Syndicate. In the field of journalism women predominate at the lower
levels and even a majority of them work in the fields like social and
women’s affairs. A
research paper I conducted on 50 women journalist in 1989 showed that women in
Egyptian journalism are governed by a set of traditions that are ingrained in
the society, they are well aware that in order to reach their goals, they have
to wait for a long time. Also women today support their families along with
their husbands and this double responsibility has put her under greater
strain. Some
women journalists are forced to leave their jobs on maternity and childcare
leave, which obviously creates promotion problems for them. WOMEN
IN THE FIELD OF PRINT MEDIA According
to the latest report “Women in Egypt” issued by the National Women’s
Council in 2001, the number of women journalists has increased from 2.72% in
the 1940’s to 9.42% in the 1950’s and 1960’s. This is attributed to
education policies, which gave a chance to free education. The survey showed
that the nine national publications have a larger number of women journalists
ranging from 38.1% in Broadcasting magazine to 37.1% in Middle East News
Agency, 33.7% in Rose El Youssef magazine, 32.7% in Al-Ahram newspaper, going
down to 18.9% in Al-Gomhouriya newspaper. The party papers have a smaller
percentage of women reporters ranging from 21.1% to 12.6%. On
the other hand, the membership of Egyptian women journalists in the press
syndicate from the official registry of the year 2000 of the Press Syndicate
indicates that from 1961 to 2000 the total number of female journalists is 377
or 9.42% of the total number of members. WORKING
MEMBERS REGISTERED OF THE PRESS SYNDIATE
Table
1 Source:
Registry of the Egyptian Press Syndicate WOMEN
IN RADIO AND TELEVISION
Both Egyptian Radio and television devote several programs to
women’s affairs and social programs. In this field, both the total number of
women holds senior positions and those working in the different medias.
Table two and table three show that the percentage of women in Radio
and Television is almost equal to men and in some higher ranking position the
number of women could be higher.
HIGHER POSTS IN RADIO AND TELEVISION JUNE 2000
Table
2 Source: Egyptian Broadcasting Union Central Planning Department 2000.
TELEVISION
IN JUNE 2000
Table
3 Source:
Egyptian Broadcasting Union Central Planning Department 2000
NUMBER
OF STUDENTS REGISTERED AT THE COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION
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