CAIRO - The new session of the People's Assembly (the Lower House of the Egyptian Parliament), which opened last week, includes a quota of 64 seats for women. One of these women MPs, Ekbal el-Samalouti, represents a constituency in Giza, south of Cairo. Originally from Samalout in the Upper Egyptian Governorate of el-Minya, about 250km south of Cairo, Ekbal is also the chairwoman of the board of directors of an NGO, as well as Dean of the Higher Institute for Social Work in Cairo. She is well known for all the good work she has done in the field of social activities. Minister of International Co-operation Fayza Abul Naga, another female parliamentarian, represents professionals in Port Said. She says that she works very hard to serve her constituents. Meanwhile, Zeinab el-Bahadi, representing workers in Suez Governorate, plans to submit a lot of draft laws to Parliament. She told Sabah el-Khair local magazine that she wants to submit a draft law to amend the Handicapped Persons' Law, adding that she will try to have the fine increased for company owners who refuse to employ disabled people. Zeinab also intends to introduce amendments to the Unified Construction Law and the new Rent Law. This new MP has also noticed through her work for the Local Council that there a number of obstacles hindering development that need removing, while she also wants to amend the Child Law, introducing tougher penalties for fathers who neglect their children, in order to reduce the number of street children. Hanem Abul Wafa, who represents workers in el-Minya Governorate, is not new to parliamentary work, as she is also a member of the Local Council. She has been engaged in social work for the past 17 years, helping to improve the living conditions for 500 families. Hanem says she'll continue to serve her constituents as an MP. Abeer el-Nagar, representing workers in Beni Sueif Governorate, says that women and children's issues will be her top priority. She also plans to submit a draft law obliging Nasr Social Bank to pay the costs of women who file for divorce; the husband should then repay the bank following the verdict. This is because divorce cases in Egypt can drag on for years. In the Red Sea Governorate, Amal Gad has been elected as an independent MP, after a very difficult struggle with the National Democratic Party female nominee. She says that she is interested in serving the people, especially women, particularly in remote areas such as Ra's Ghareb, Halayeb and Shalateen. Zahya Abdel-Latif, from Sohag Governorate and representing the workers, is also mainly concerned with women's issues and encouraging them to take on leadership roles. She is also determined to put Sohag on the Egyptian tourist map, as there are many wonderful ancient monuments there, although they do need a lot of attention. In Luxor, Hoda Khalil, an independent representative, plans to continue serving the local people as an MP in the People's Assembly. One of Egypt's most famous women MPs, Heweida Gaber from Sohag Governorate, is currently expecting a baby. She says that this won't prevent her from doing her job properly, despite what some people say.
