Marking a historic step, 98 Egyptian female judges will sit on the State Council’s podium for the very first time since its inception 75 years ago, after taking an oath on Thursday, 3 March 2022. 

In a statement, Egypt’s National Council for Women called the ceremony a “new historic day in the life of the Egyptian woman”.

At the ceremony, Maya Morsi, President of the National Council of Women, paid tribute to Aisha Rateb, Egyptian lawyer, politician, and Egypt’s first female ambassador.

Rateb rose to fame as an activist who struggled for women’s right to representation in the judiciary after applying to become a judge in 1949 and being rejected because of her gender. 

According to prime minister Hussein Serry Pasha, a woman judge was “against the traditions of society”; In response, Rateb filed a lawsuit against the government for violating her constitutional rights. “

Today your granddaughters are reaping the fruits of your struggle, so may your soul rest in peace, rest assured that your struggle has not been in vain,” said Maya Morsi.

Radwa Helmy, Egypt’s first judge and woman to sit on the podium of the State Council, later addressed young Egyptian women, saying “Do not abandon your dreams. The world is changing, and it is necessary to work on self-development, which will open doors to distinguished titles and show the ingenuity and capabilities of women.”