This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
On August 24, 2019, a popular Egyptian television talk show host, Reham Saeed, was suspended from appearing in the media for a year due to her on-air comments about obesity among Egyptian women.
According to Egypt's media regulator, Saeed breached professional standards by using words and phrases that were clearly offensive to women in Egypt.
Her remarks, which were in line with a recent anti-obesity drive by Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, sparked a storm of criticism.
Ms. Saeed had already faced backlash after her programme on Al-Hayah TV was suspended following her comments that overweight Egyptian women were 'burdens to their families and the state.'
Her remarks were widely condemned on social media, with users creating a hashtag #?????_???? calling for her to be fired from her job.
The National Council for Women (NCW) filed a complaint against Saeed, stating that her comments were 'inappropriate' and 'humiliating' to obese people.
