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suspended
Egyptian TV channel takes female anchors off air until they lose weight
The women have been told they “can work in production during the period they need to lose weight”.
3.54pm, 18 Aug 2016
26.4k
93
EGYPT’S STATE-RUN TELEVISION has taken several anchorwomen off the air until they lose weight, the broadcaster’s chief has said.
Egyptian public television, commonly viewed as a government mouthpiece, has been struggling to compete with private satellite channels.
Safaa Hegazy, the head of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (which runs state television), said six to eight anchorwomen would be affected by the decision.
The move “is within the framework of developing the broadcaster, in form and content”, she said.
Hegazy said she told the anchorwomen “that they can work in production during the period they need to lose weight”.
“They can then return to the screen,” she said.
The move provoked a backlash from rights groups who labelled it discriminatory.
The Women’s Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness in Egypt called the decision “shameful” and said it was contrary to Egypt’s constitution.
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Hegazy dismissed allegations the decision was sexist.
“How can there be discrimination against women in an institution run by a woman?” she said.
She said the anchorwomen “are no longer how they were” when hired, suggesting they had since gained weight.
Defamation
One of the affected women, Khadija Khattab, said she felt slandered by the move.
“Publishing this decision in the newspapers is tantamount to defamation against the anchorwomen,” Khattab told AFP.
We need to know who decides whether an anchor is fit to go on air, and by which standards.
Others supported the move.
“I agree with this decision because an anchorwoman’s appearance is an important criterion,” state newspaper Al-Ahram quoted Sami Abdel Aziz, described as a media expert, as saying.
“An anchorwoman’s fitness gives an impression of liveliness on the screen,” he said.
The sense of entitlement from these people is something else. Do they really think they are so important? Thankfully they will get more than €5 from the budget and they might “purchase” a ticket like everybody else.
No Geraldine McFadden, you not getting all Ireland ticket for free is not an issue.. What an issue is, is the amount of homeless people sleeping rough in cities around our country. An issue is the lack of affordable childcare in this country. An issue is the amount of young people immigrating due to the lack of job prospects. An issue is low income families slipping into poverty while you have some sense of entitlement to an all Ireland ticket, even though you have a massive wage? Cop yourself on woman. You are suppose to be sorting out the real issues in the country, not your petty idea of what an “issue” is
Neither TD’s nor Senators should be getting privileges like these, the sooner the realise they put on their pants one leg at a time, just like the rest of use, the better. Unless I’m mistaken and they do in fact have “dressers” to help them get ready in the morning. Maybe there is a Dresser Expense?! If so will we someday have claims for mental distress from dressers who saw things they can never unsee. Regardless, TD’s, in theory anyway, do far more important work so if anyone is getting tickets it’s that shower. The upper house needs to start acting like the upper house! In short, go and shte.
We had our chance. The upper house has had no real impact since the founding of the state. Ultimate departure lounge. A few notable exceptions of course but mainstream full of brown nosing yes men. Shame on us.
“It certainly drew a clear line between Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann in this case”. So as long as they’re the other side of the line?
“I never go to any games but I should be entitled to a ticket for the All-Ireland. To hell with a ticket for the wife and kids of the player who hardly sees his family because he trains 5 days a week between club and county after days work.
You know what, I’ll buy them a ticket for the Ladies All-Ireland. That should shut them up.
Aww the poor little self entitled man, his gravy train isn’t as luscious as a TD/Ministers one so he’s whinging in the Seanad about it. Mulherin made a show of herself on the Drivetime last month now this buffoon is doing the same.
What a waste of space these oversubscribed plebs have in our lives. Gawd give me strength to do no harm……because I am mightily sick of these PARASITES or in common language MAGPIES
Dear Michelle Mulherin, I like many other working class people, buy a season ticket every year so I have the opportunity to watch my team if they get to a final. But your plight has touched my heart. I shed tears when I first heard your story Michelle. How wholly unjust it was that you couldn’t get a ticket to support your beloved Mayo in their quest for the holy fail. Well fear not Michelle, I will pledge you my ticket for the 2017 final if Mayo get there. I urge everyone in a similar position to give up their hard worked for tickets also. Because Michelle so obviously deserves it more than you do.
Greedy, useless, fat cats. Support your local club and you’ll get a ticket. You don’t represent the people, those of you not given a free seat in the Seanad are there because of an exceptionally elitist election process.
Who the f*ck are these people!? Elected by nobody to represent nobody but themselves until they fail again at the next election. Although you’ve gotta take your hat off to them, trying to get as much out of the gravy train while they’re on it!
This is an interesting sense of entitlement from people who have not been elected by public plebiscite. It is right and proper that the GAA does not favour senators over the members of the public who attend games for the love of the sport rather than to be seen. In addition, a senator represents a panel, a college or the Taoiseach’s choice – all national rather than regional constituencies. Hence the GAA are justified.
The GAA are justified in not providing preferential treatment to senators. They are elected an elite rather than the public, which makes them not as special as TDs who face a popular vote. In addition, they represent national rather than rural constitencies.
How many of them go to matches I sick off people jumping on the band wagon when it comes to finals and haven’t gone to other matches what makes them more important than me or other football
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