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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 January 2000 Issue No. 465 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 January 2000 Issue No. 465
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A WOMEN'S COUNCIL: During the celebration of World Inner Wheel Day, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak announced that a National Council for Women will be set up in March under the direct supervision of the president. Speaking at the event held at the Cairo Meridien Hotel on Sunday, Mrs Mubarak said that the new council is an important and long-awaited step in the right direction and "the Egyptian woman's New Year's gift".
The event was organised by the Inner Wheel Clubs of Region 95, which include Egypt and Jordan. These clubs are women's groups affiliated to the International Rotary Clubs. From modest beginnings, the Inner Wheel has become one of the largest women's organisations in the world. The first club was formed in Manchester, England by Rotarian wives on 10 January 1924 -- the anniversary of this milestone being celebrated each year.
Mrs Mubarak said that the establishment of the council will increase national interest in the general condition of women and the problems they face. "It will be a turning point in the way women's issues are dealt with. They will be managed on a scientific and practical basis to achieve the desired objectives. The benefits will extend to every Egyptian woman in every village, town and city."
The council, she said, will be responsible for drawing up a general policy for society and its institutions and for proposing a national plan for the improvement of women's conditions, solving problems facing them, as well as studying laws that affect women and providing opinions on draft laws concerning them.
"It has been proven that the return on investing in the development and education of women is higher than that on any other kind of investment," Mrs Mubarak pointed out.
The president of the Inner Wheel Clubs of Region 95, Mrs Dorreyya El-Bishari, presented Mrs Mubarak with a prize in honour of her untiring efforts in social development.
