5 - 11 April 2001
Issue No.528
|
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 5 - 11 April 2001 Issue No.528 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Experiences in empowerment
On her trip to the United States, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak learned about children's programmes and informed US officials and activists of women's status in Egypt. Dahlia Hammouda reports
In Washington this week, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak's characteristically busy agenda began on Monday with a round-table discussion on education hosted by Lynn Cheney, wife of the US vice-president. Speakers focused on the means of developing the educational process in both countries. Mrs Mubarak spoke of the Egyptian government's efforts to upgrade education and schools, as well as issues pertaining to teacher training and curricula revision. She also informed attendees of the Reading for All project, considered the most successful educational project in Egypt.
Mrs Mubarak at the Meridian International Centre luncheon (top); and during her visit to the Lab school for special needs children (above)
Mrs Mubarak then visited the National Institute for Health (NIH), where NIH staff and other health experts gave her an overview of the US health care system. There was a discussion of the role of health institutes in providing health care services to special needs children, the handicapped and particularly to women.
The same day, the US education secretary invited Mrs Mubarak to listen to education experts' views on methods of discovering talented children in the US and the crucial role that families play in this process. They explained how these children receive a different education and are regularly evaluated.
Mrs Mubarak delivered a short speech on women's role in Egypt's development process at a luncheon hosted in her honour by the Meridian International Centre. Stressing the importance of women's participation as equal partners in development, Mrs Mubarak delineated the numerous achievements made to empower women in Egypt in the last several years. These accomplishments, she said, were crowned last year by the establishment of the National Council for Women. She said the Arab Women's summit held in Cairo last November was an unprecedented event in the Arab world, indicative of Arab leadership's new understanding of the importance of women's role in Arab society.
On Tuesday, Mrs Mubarak visited the Lab School -- specialised in the education of special needs children through art -- where she watched a performance staged for her by schoolchildren
On Wednesday, Mrs Mubarak met Laura Bush, wife of the US president, at the White House. After the meeting, the two women visited the Betworth Branch Library.
Later that day, Mrs Mubarak met Kenneth Behring, head of the Wheelchair Foundation, at the Woodrow Wilson Centre. The Wheelchair Foundation, a non-profit organisation established last year by a grant from the Kenneth E Behring Foundation, is leading an international effort to deliver a wheelchair to every man, woman and child in the world who needs one. Over the next five years, the foundation aims to distribute one million wheelchairs to handicapped people worldwide.
Mrs Mubarak wrapped up her official schedule by attending a luncheon organised in her honour by the Businesswomen's Network and the Woodrow Wilson Centre. Before a gathering of prominent women figures in business, Mrs Mubarak delivered a speech entitled "Women in Egypt: A Force for Development."
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page