No more baklava for you, ladies!
The state-owned Egyptian television network ERTU has caused an uproar among women rights group for suspending eight of its plumper anchors and giving them a brash ultimatum: either shed a few pounds or stay home.
According to the BBC, the Egyptian Radio and Television Network (ERTU) gave the women just 30 days to slim down before they could appear on air again with what the network deems an “appropriate” appearance.
One of the anchors, Khadija Khattab, told the paper Al-Yawm al-Sabi that it should be up to the audience to decide whether the hosts were too “fat” and their appearance so unappealing that they should be suspended.
Egyptian feminists weren’t exactly pleased either—they were particularly galled because the network’s owner, Safaa Hegazy, is a woman and a former anchor herself. The Women’s Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness, an Egyptian human rights group, condemned the measure in a Facebook post, saying it is discriminatory and violates women’s constitutional rights. They demanded that the network reverse its decision.
With nearly 70% of its population overweight or obese, cake-loving Egypt is the fattest African country and the 7th most-rotund in the world. Marshaling that fact, some social media users riled the presenters as “dumpy” and praised the cable owner for taking a courageous step in the right direction. A number of Egyptian media commentators, on the other hand, defended the women, saying the network should focus on the quality of its content rather than its anchors’ waistlines.
The political class also added its two cents to the controversy. One male journalist and member of parliament questioned, during a session of parliament, whether anyone was in the position to judge the presenters given that nobody boasts “an ideal weight in Egypt.” Referring to Khadija Khattab, he told the Sada al-Balad news site that despite being a little overweight, at least she is “eloquent.”
