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Egyptian women look to boost presence in police force

Although women have made increasing progress in entering Egypt’s police force, they still face many obstacles.
An Egyptian policewoman checks women's handbags outside a polling station in the capital Cairo on November 22, 2015, on the first day of the second and final round of the country's parliamentary elections. Egyptians began voting Sunday across 13 of the country's 27 provinces in the second phase of parliamentary elections after a low turnout marred the first stage in the absence of any strong opposition. AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKI        (Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images)
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CAIRO — From June 15-17, Egypt’s Ministry of Interior deployed the largest number of female police cadres it had ever dispatched on Egyptian streets as well as around cinemas and parks in a bid to provide security for the Eid al-Fitr holiday celebrations. The task of these female police members was to ward off harassment of and violence against women, which are common during holidays and public events.

The beefed up and organized presence of trained female police officers drew the attention of several local and regional Arabic- and English-language newspapers — some even went so far as to praise the role of women at the Ministry of Interior.

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