Children Who Don’t Exist
In Egypt only a father can legally register a child, leaving many without an identity.
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In Egypt, thousands of children do not officially exist because only a father can legally register his child. Hind Al-Hannawi decided to tackle head on the stigmas of conservative Egyptian society.
By admitting her baby was born due to an informal liason with a famous actor, she faced alienation from a community in which marriage and sexual privacy go hand in hand.
Meanwhile Magda Abdul Raouf has taken on the cause of less educated and well-connected women struggling for legal recognition for their children so they can have access to education and government support.
With motivated women on the case, the law courts are slowly making changes, while public opinion may take longer to catch up.
Published On 27 Sep 2009