In First, 98 Female Judges Sworn in to Egypt’s State Council

Ninety-eight female judges were sworn in on Tuesday in Cairo to Egypt’s State Council, one of the country’s main judicial bodies. They are the first women ever to serve on the bench in the State Council in all of its 75 years. The State Council is an independent judicial body that mainly handles administrative disputes, disciplinary cases and appeals, and reviews draft laws or contracts to which the government or a government body is a party.

Women have repeatedly applied to work as judges on the council, but were rejected, The Associated Press reported. The naming of the new female judges comes after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in March called for the appointment of female judges to the State Council. El-Sisi ordered all state ministries and agencies to fully support the State Council and to create the appropriate work environment for the female judges.