2008 saw Egyptian women make history as they fought their way into traditionally male-oriented jobs, Amany Abdel-Moneim cheers for the role models Women in Upper Egypt made small but significant political gains this year, with two females elected to village councils and one elected to a district council. Meanwhile, Assiut governorate elected its first female mayor. Lawyer Eva Habil Kerolous, aged 53, broke barriers and was appointed the first female mayor of the predominantly Coptic Christian town of Komboha, a village of 10,000 inhabitants on the Nile Valley, roughly 400 kilometres south of Cairo. The appointment of Kerolous was confirmed by the Ministry of Interior on 13 November 2008, thus confirming she'd defeated five men vying for the position, including her younger brother. Kerolous's nomination for mayor echoes a long tradition in rural Egypt that administrative positions are handed down from father to son -- even though this time it was the daughter who got the top job. "I always wanted to be mayor and was certain that I had the capacity to live up to the responsibility. But after the death of my father, traditionally, my brother applied for the job, and because he is not a permanent resident in the village, he was rejected," the new mayor said. "I was not parachuted out of nowhere," affirmed Kerolous who has lived permanently for many years among the villagers of Kamboha. And after the failure of her brother, the villagers convinced her to run in order to keep the mayoral within the family. Surprisingly perhaps, in a traditional society where only men have historically been appointed as mayors, the older generation supported Kerolous more than the young of the town. Prior to the mayoral win, Kerolous was an active member of the ruling National Democratic Party, where she held the post of secretary of Women's Affairs in her village. Her political engagement within the party boosted her to contribute to civil society, especially enhancing political participation for women and combating illiteracy among residents of the countryside. She also tries hard to intensify the spirit of belonging among her villagers. No doubt Kerolous's appointment has shaken some social norms in Egypt, where women, regardless of their religion, struggle to break into politics. As a woman, she knew she would have to face up to huge challenges as she battled her way into the male-oriented politics of Egypt. The new mayor revealed to Al-Ahram Weekly her years of commitment to the residents of her village when she assisted her father, who held the post of mayor of Kamboha since 1951. "I helped my father look after the village since 1990 when his health began to deteriorate and, as a lawyer, people were used to consult me in their affairs," she said. Kerolous added that her love for politics developed from childhood as she grew up watching and learning from her enlightened, liberal-minded father, who raised his children with a rational concept of freedom. "My father approved of me going to Iraq alone in the 1980s, after my graduation from the Faculty of Law at Ain Shams University, to start my career just like any other male," she fondly recalls. Following in the footsteps of her father, the new mayor is relaxed in her pioneering role and acts as a good leader, just like her ancestors. She told the Weekly how she handled issues at hand and managed to overcome a recent incidence of violence in her village. During the festive month of December, youth are used to celebrate their Saturday nights hanging out in the streets till late, recounts Kerolous. One night they all went out and destroyed some properties. The new mayor was wise though, and instead of reporting to the police station, she evaluated the damages and asked the youngsters' families to pay compensation. "This compromise made all the concerned parties happy, and the issue came to a peaceful close," the mayor told the Weekly. Just because she is a woman, however, she is not unaware of security concerns. According to Kerolous, the number of regular guards assigned for each mayor should now increase. "Previously there were 12 guards, and then the number decreased to six because of the poor wages they earned. We need either to increase the number or raise the salaries, in order for us to be more selective," said the mayor. She then cited an example from her village. "We have only six guards to take care of five churches, a mosque, a post office and a call centre in addition to tending to their other administrative tasks," she explained. Kamboha village, according to its new mayor, is a productive agricultural-commercial community. "We are considerably a rich society compared to others. We do not suffer from unemployment whatsoever," said Kerolous. She proudly added that despite a dependence on poultry production in addition to other sources of income among many villagers, the town is reported free from avian influenza. Meanwhile, environmental issues topped the list of priorities on the new mayor's agenda. "I plan to work with residents and officials on improving the environment of the countryside, which has suffered in the past decades due to a lack of urban planning and insufficient health regulations," she said. Though Egypt was the first Arab country to give women the vote in 1956 and has been seen as a pioneer in women's rights in many ways, the progress of Egyptian women in the public sphere has been slow. Women have not been active in the political arena. Today there are only nine female MPs in Egypt's 454-seat parliament. Four were elected while the other five were appointed under presidential decree. To the first female mayor, 2008 was the year when all the hard work she had done throughout her life was recognised. While Egyptian women's social progress has been moderate to date, Kerolous envisions a bright future for her countrywomen. "Things evolve step by step, now we have a female judge and maazouna (marriage registrar), but believe me there will be others." By Amany Abdel-Moneim
