Egypt State Information Service

First Lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak

Personal Data:

- A sociologist born in Minya, Egypt.

- Married with two children; two grandchildren.

Education:

- Honorary Doctorate in Human Sciences from the American University in Cairo (AUC), Feb. 2000.

- Master's degree in Sociology of Education on:
" Social Action Research in Urban Egypt".
- " A case study of primary school upgrading in Bulaq", American University in Cairo, 1982.

- BA in Political Science, American University in Cairo; 1977.

Secondary Stage Certificate, St. Claire School Heliopolis, Cairo.

International and Regional Activities:

Keynote Speaker and Head of the Egyptian delegation to:

Mrs. Mubarak's Women for Peace Conferences.
Lectured on "Peace, Development & Women" at Oxford University.
UN Fourth International Conference on Women, Beijing, September 1995.
Rotary International Annual General Conference, Nice, June 1995.
Soka University Celebration, Tokyo, April 1995.
UN University Meeting, Tokyo, April, 1995.
WHO Task Force on Health and Development Policies, Geneva, June 1994.
UN International Conference on Population and Development NGO Forum, Cairo, September 1994.
Cairo Africa First Ladies Seminar on the Status of Women and Children in Africa, Cairo, June 1993, Chairperson of the Seminar.
Second Session of the Special High-Level UN Council in Charge of studying ways and means to prevent natural disasters, New York, January 1993.
The Summit on Economic Advancement of Rural Women, UN Geneva, February 1992.
WHO International Seminar on Health as a Condition for Economic Development, Accra, December, 1991.
The International Conference of the Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Williamsburg, Virginia, September 1990.
The World Summit for Children, UN New York, September 1990.
The International Committee for the Revival of Alexandria Library, Aswan, February 1990, Alexandria, April 1992 , Chairperson of the Committee.
The World Conference on Preparing for Climate Change, Cairo, December 1989.
Fourth African Regional Conference on Women and Development, Nigeria, November 1989.
Symposium on Women and Social Development: Past, Present and Future, organized by the American National Council of Negro Women, Cairo, July 1989.
UNICEF Executive Board, 1989 session, New York, April 1989.
The Conference on the Future United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Alexandria, November 1988.
The 23rd Congress of the International Publishers Association, London, June 1988.
The Conference on the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, September 1987.
The Arab Regional Meeting on the establishment of the Arab Council for Children and Development, Amman, Jordan, April 1987.
The International Symposium on Children's Book, held in Cairo, November 1986, Honorary Chairperson of the Symposium.
The United Nations World Conference to review and appraise the achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development, and Peace", held in Nairobi, Kenya, 1985.

International Awards:

Received the first-class honorary medal of the German University in Cairo (GUC) as an appreciation for her non-stop support for the GUC - March 2008
Received Grand cross of the order of the Phoenix, the highest Greek medal - June 2007
Received Award of the Greek Culture Ministry as an appreciation for her efforts in the children and women culture field - June 2007
Received El-Sheikh Rashid Prize for Humanitarian Person of the year 2006 - May 2007
Was first to Receive the Sesame Workshop Pioneer Award - April 2007
Received the African Union 's Economic, Social and Cultural Council Shield - February 2007
Received Dr. Rainer Hildebrandt Medal for Human Rights at a ceremony in Berlin – - December 2006
Received the Orange Seed Prize from the general assembly of the permanent committee of the Euro-Med partnership for local and regional authorities – Palermo – Sicily - November 24, 2006
Was honored by the Rotary Clubs for her efforts to eliminate polio - July 2007
Was named Peace-maker by People for People International - May 2005
First Arab Lady for Development – March 2005.
Chosen honorary Hans Christian Anderson (HCA) Ambassador – January 2005.
Honored by Goethe Institute – October 2004.
Honored by the Stuttgart University – August 2004.
Honored by the UN – July 2004.
Received honorary doctorate from the Sorbonne University – June 2004.
Received Award from Johns Hopkins University – January 2004.
Received peace prize December 2003.
Received international Science & culture prize – Naples –September 2003.
Received Athens City Key.
Honored Berlin Free University – February 2003.
Received honorary doctorate from the American University in Spain – February 2000.
Italian Mediterranean Association Prize in September, 2003.
"Gold medal" from Mayor of Athens , June, 1, 2003.
"Order of Honor" from Berlin Free University, Feb., 17, 2003.
Institute of Int. Education: Duggan award on March 6, 2002.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) award on June 24, 2000.
International Tolerance Prize awarded by the European Academy for Sciences and Arts on August 15, 1998.
Soka University bestowed upon Mrs. Mubarak its Award of Highest Honor in April 1995.
Mrs. Mubarak received the "International Book Committee, International Book Award" in April 1995, in recognition of her outstanding efforts to promote reading in Egypt.
" The Health for All Gold Medal ", the highest distinction awarded by the World Health Organization has been conferred upon Mrs. Mubarak, in June 1994 , in recognition of her outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life of the women and children of Egypt and her personal commitment to international efforts aimed at integrating health in development process.
The Honorary Fulbright Award, 1992, in recognition of her efforts in the field of child development and education.
The "Together for Peace Foundation "bestowed upon Mrs. Mubarak" The 1992 Enrique de la Mata International Prize for Peace" in recognition of her dedication in promoting child development and alleviating the suffering of victims of natural disasters.
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International named Mrs. Mubarak in 1992 a Paul Harris Fellow in appreciation of the tangible and significant assistance for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations between peoples of the world.
The Westminster College, New Wilmington, honored Mrs. Mubarak with the degree of Doctor of Laws in recognition of her outstanding achievements for the people of Egypt and in causes highly valued by the international community.
The American World Book Association for Publication Award, in recognition of her role in the publication of books and her efforts in supporting the campaign of "Reading for All".
The Highest Award in 1989 by the Rehabilitation International Center for her outstanding services and support to disabled children.
The 1989 UNICEF Executive Board has decided to confer upon Mrs. Mubarak its highest honor," The Maurice Pate Award", in recognition of her dedication and efforts for child survival, protection and development.

Social Services:

January 2007: Became President of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's Institute of Peace Studies.

2002: Became founder and chair of the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement.

February 2000: Became chair of the National Council for Women

Deputy chair of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST).

Chair of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society which has launched a national campaign for safe blood, targeting groups that are the most exposed to contaminated blood; the RCS also provides humanitarian assistance at both the local and international levels (e.g. , and ).

Founder and Chairperson of the Integrated Care Society established in 1977, a non-profit organization whose objective is to provide social, cultural and health care to school children. This includes the establishment of children's libraries nationwide. It also assists and supports governmental school and mobile libraries.

The Society promotes community services based on people's participation. It has established health centers located in under-serviced and remote areas providing family planning services, occupational literacy programs, and pre-school education among others.

It has also created a number of children's clubs providing cultural and recreational activities for the young.

In cooperation with WHO and UNICEF, the Society sponsored a development which focused on providing health care to vulnerable groups, occupational literacy programs income generating activities for women. The project elicited people's participation to bring about a change in the community and to contribute to a better quality of life.

Another international project is the Society's interest in cooperating with the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). has established a national chapter, chaired by Mrs. Mubarak. This chapter has been actively supporting children's book writing and the translation of master international books for children. It has also sponsored a National Symposium on Books for Children assisted by IBBY, UNESCO and UNICEF.

The Society has taken an interest in promoting the conditions of the disabled, particularly those with sensory impairments and mentally handicapped children. It has established a Center for Children with Disabilities Special Needs (assessment, family counseling, and referral).

The First Lady is founder of the National History Museum for Children in "The Suzanne Mubarak Museum for Children," opened in June 1996. It is an educational and recreational center providing information and services complementary to formal school education. The museum aims at acquainting Egyptian children with natural historic phenomena, as they relate to the Egyptian natural and cultural environment. It also aims at generating in its visitor an understanding and love of nature with a deep concern for its protection and preservation.

The First Lady is the initiator of a law on children (March 1996), which is basically a codification of all relevant issues in national law regarding the Egyptian child in which all their rights and safeguards are defined him or her in various stages of life not only in relation to health and education, but also a comprehensive bill of rights of all children, special emphasis is placed on street children, homeless, abused and exploited children.

The First Lady is President of the Egyptian National Women Committee, and President of the first and second National Conference on Women (June 1994 - April 1996).

She is the founder and chairperson of the Egyptian Society for Childhood and Development, a non-governmental organization mainly established to promote the participation of the private sector in the field of child development. After the October 1992 earthquake, the society launched a wide campaign earmarked to with the purpose of reconstructing, restoring and renovating damaged schools. "The One Hundred New Schools Project". The national program reform is among its main objectives. The Society sponsored with the Ministry of Education, in February 1993, the first symposium in this field.

After the 1992 earthquake, the Society sponsored a pilot community project in Ein Helwan, providing relief assistance and support to earthquake victims.

In June 1991, Mrs. Mubarak launched a campaign under the title " Reading for All" which has stimulated a national movement focused on encouraging reading, for old, young and adult readers. The campaign is launched every year at the beginning of the summer school vacation.

Mrs. Mubarak is initiator of an intensive training program for librarians. The program was launched in 1985 and carried out by national and international experts trained in children's library science.

She is founder and president of the Friends of the Children's Library, an advisory council established in 1984 with the aim of setting up Children's Public Libraries, especially in low-income communities. The long term goals of this project are to introduce and to develop the habit of lifetime reading, to demonstrate the effectiveness of stories and story-telling in transmitting proper health and nutrition habits, and to help stimulate the school system, governmental and private, to establish school libraries.

The First Lady is founder and chairperson of the Association for Heliopolis District Development Services. The society has upgraded a public hospital, established several public libraries for adults and for children and contributed to the " Suzanne Mubarak Museum for Children" in . The Association, this year, celebrated the district's Jubilee (100 years).

Mrs. Mubarak is initiator and founder of the Egyptian Children's Literature Center for Documentation Research and Information, the first reference center for children's literature in the Arab region. The primary purpose of the center is the collection of all material related to children literature in and internationally, particularly as regards information documentation and reference services.

She is also president of the Advisory Board to the National Council on Childhood and Motherhood.


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