A disabled graduate student was minister for a day on Thursday.
Heba Ezz el-Arab, 24, a graduate from the Faculty of Mass Communication, Beni Sueif University was minister of social solidarity for one day as part of the Girls in Leadership initiative, launched by Plan International in 2016.
Ezz el-Arab is also a member of the National Council for Women (NCW) representing women with disabilities in Beni Sueif.
Girls in Leadership has been implemented in Egypt under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Solidarity in partnership with the Canadian Embassy in Cairo since 2018.
Ezz el-Arab’s stint as minister coincided with the International Day of the Girl Child, which has been celebrated on October 11 every year since 2012, when the United Nations used the first used the occasion highlight the barriers facing women who aspire to high positions of authority.
Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine el-Qabbag on Thursday met with Ezz el-Arab for a briefing on ministry programmes and initiatives. The minister also answered the graduate’s questions on disability issues.
Despite her disability, Ezz el-Arab is being trained as a broadcaster for a satellite channel.
Plan International Director Dennis O’Brien spoke highly of co-operation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity on the Girls in Leadership initiative.
The minister told O’Brien, “The Egyptian government seeks to empower girls and women in social, economic and civil fields.”
Since 2018, the initiative has played a great role in building a new generation of leaders and decision-makers for Egypt, the minister added.
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