Bothaina Kamel: Egypt’s First Female Presidential Candidate

The Council on Foreign Relations’ Steven Cook wrote an article titled, “Egypt: Her Excellency, Madame President?” which focuses on Bothaina Kamel, a female t.v. presenter and media figurehead who has recently announced that she will be running for the office of the presidency.

Although it is almost certain that Kamel won’t win the elections, her announcement signals a revolutionary turn in Egyptian politics. Cook wrote, “[i]n a society where the idea of a woman leading a country, the judiciary, or serving any similar role is discouraged by both culture and religion (indeed, it is often outright banned), the presence of a woman in elections stirs up strong reactions from the public.”

Cook also stated that while others have taken a stab at a ‘symbolic run’ for office, Kamel’s position is unique in that she “enjoys instant recognition” because of her role as a leading public figure. She also has proper credentials stemming from the Kefaya movement, and has expressed criticisms of Mubarak and his regime during her tenure at OrbitTV.

“The real significance of Kamel’s candidacy is that it can actually shatter many of the misconceptions and traditional attitudes regarding women’s role in Society, and can turn the tides of the debate over the ‘right’ of a woman to run for leadership roles in an Arab and Muslim country,” Cook commented.