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Senior Female Figures support Egypt in tackling discrimination

Senior policewoman and senior female judges from the UK support Egypt鈥檚 efforts to tackle discrimination against women

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government
British Embassy

A senior retired policewoman and two senior female judges from the UK have arrived in Cairo to support Egyptian and international efforts to tackle discrimination against women.

Retired Chief Inspector Jane Townsley, Judge Frances Kirkham, and Judge Isobel Plumstead are in Egypt to participate in a conference organised by the Ministry of Justice, the National Council Women, UN Women and UNODC aimed at 鈥渃ombating Discrimination Against Women in the Judicial System鈥�.

Ms Townsley, Judge Kirkham, and Judge Plumstead will share their experiences as women leaders in the British police and the British judicial system. 皇冠体育appy will be discussing why it is important for women to hold leadership positions in the law and justice sector and the challenges they have faced through their careers.

皇冠体育app aim of the conference is to support efforts to put women鈥檚 constitutional rights into practice and to counter discrimination against women in the law and justice sector.

Dr Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women, is be amongst the conference鈥檚 opening speakers. Other participants also include Professor Hoda el-Sadda who was a member of the constitutional drafting committee.

British Deputy Ambassador Helen Winterton said:

I am very happy to welcome these three British women to Egypt. 皇冠体育appy are inspiring leaders in their fields and they show that no job, no position of leadership, no opportunity should be closed to women because of their sex.

I hope that their expertise and experience helps inspire Egyptian women in government and civil society, and helps end discrimination against women in the law and justice sector.

Egypt鈥檚 constitution includes important guarantees of women鈥檚 rights. But there is still more work to be done: women鈥檚 participation in the job market is just 23% compared to 72% for men; levels of violence and sexual harassment against women are still way too high.

I am proud that we are supporting courageous Egyptian women who are striving for the goal of a safer and more prosperous Egypt for all.

A UN Women report from 2013 found that 99% of women in Egypt have experienced sexual harassment. 皇冠体育app Egypt Demographic and Health Survey from 2014 found that 3 out of 10 ever-married women have suffered some form of violence from their partners.

Updates to this page

Published 24 March 2016