The Egyptian
Radio and Television Union (ERTU) has given the women who work for the state
owned TV and Radio station one month to lose weight before they can appear on
air again with an "appropriate appearance", the Al-Yawm al-Sabi
website reports.
The ERTU has a female director, Safaa Hegazy, a former state
TV anchor herself.
This order led
to an outcry among the affected presenters and women's rights groups in the
country.
One of the
hosts on Egypt's Channel 2 station, Khadija Khattab, said the audience should
watch her most recent TV appearances and judge for themselves if she is really
"fat", and whether her weight should prevent her from working.
Another
presenter complained bitterly that the situation had upset their families and
that this situation of their weight issue should have been dealt with internally.
The Women's
Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness condemned the move, saying it
"violates the constitution" and is a form of violence against women.
It's called on the ERTU to backtrack.
Journalist
Fatma al-Sharawi says the policy should apply to all local TV stations, while
academic Waheed Abdul Majid says the channel should pay more attention to its
content - not its hosts' appearances.
Reaction on
social media has been mixed, with some supporting the women and others calling
them "bakabouzas" - a term for overweight girls.
A twitter user
said: Some of them might be a little overweight, but they are eloquent".
Despite the
backlash, sources from ERTU said they will stick by the decision. The State TV
has since pulled eight female TV presenters off air until they lose weight,
adding that the hosts will still be paid their salaries and benefits during
their stand-down period.
Source: BBC
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