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CAIRO — Safaa Hegazy, the director of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU), recently suspended eight female TV presenters. The decision wasn’t based on technical reasons or poor work performance; rather, it was attributed to the women’s weight. Hegazy gave the suspended presenters a deadline of one month to diet and achieve a “decent appearance.”
Hegazy, a former presenter herself, was banned from appearing on the air in 2007 after a decision was issued by ERTU to ban overweight women from reading headline news. She had worked for 17 years as a newsreader for state TV.
