PROFILE OF MRS. SUZANNE MUBARAK

UNCLAS CAIRO 000843 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA NSC FOR PKUMAR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON OVIP EG SUBJECT: PROFILE OF MRS. SUZANNE MUBARAK ¶1. (U) Summary and introduction: First Lady Suzanne Mubarak will accompany President Mubarak during his May 24-26 visit to Washington. This will be her first visit to the U.S. since 2004, when she accompanied her husband on a six-day state visit. Suzanne Mubarak is an active and very visible first lady. Her many public appearances in support of charitable causes, including frequent overseas trips for international conferences, get prominent play in the Egyptian media. -------------- First Lady and Leader -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Mrs. Mubarak,s primary areas of interest are education, women's rights, literacy, social welfare, and health care. She is the head of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society (akin to the American Red Cross),the National Council for Women, and the National Council on Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM). She is founder and president of the Egyptian chapter of the International Board on Books for Young People. In 1991, she initiated the "Reading for All" campaign, an annual nationwide program to encourage reading to children. She is also the founder of the National History Museum for Children, which opened in 1996. In 2002, she founded the Suzanne Mubarak Women,s International Peace Movement, and, in 2007, she became the president of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina,s Institute of Peace Studies. Mrs. Mubarak's political and moral support was instrumental in the amendment of Egypt's Child Law in June 2008. The amendment criminalized FGM and trafficking in children. Mrs. Mubarak also sponsored, in December 2008, with the International Office for Migration the launch of the Arabic version of the "Direct Assistance for Victims of Trafficking" handbook. Suzanne Mubarak,s Peace Movement launched an international campaign "End Human Trafficking Now." In March 2009, the movement organized a regional conference in Bahrain to tackle trafficking in persons. As a result of the first lady,s anti-trafficking advocacy, there has been a substantial increase in press coverage on the subject. -------------- Partnerships With USAID -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Mrs. Mubarak also has a strong interest in economic and social development, and organizations under her leadership have partnered with USAID in these arenas. The Integrated Care Society, a non-governmental organization founded by Mrs. Mubarak in 1977, was a key partner with USAID in providing over 24 million books to all 39,000 public schools through the National Book Program. She is also a patron of the USAID-funded television series, Alam Simsim, Egypt,s version of Sesame Street. She appeared on Alam Simsim with former First Lady Laura Bush in 2005, during Mrs. Bush,s visit to Egypt. In 2008, Mrs. Mubarak and Mrs. Bush jointly launched a partnership between the Suzanne Mubarak Regional Center for Women,s Health and Development and the USAID-funded Global Initiative for Breast Cancer Awareness. Later this month, the National Council for Women will host a USAID-funded conference on violence against women. Mrs. Mubarak planned to preside over the conference before her trip was scheduled. -------------- On The International Stage -------------- ¶4. (SBU) With a particular emphasis on women's and children's issues, Mrs. Mubarak has attended the 1995 Women's Conference in Beijing, headed the Egyptian delegation to a special UN session on women in 2000, played a key role in the 2001 Arab Women's summit, participated in the 1990 World Summit on Children, and has sponsored many literacy and education-related programs in Egypt. She also has actively supported peace initiatives, to include humanitarian efforts in support of the Palestinians. Mrs. Mubarak has received numerous international awards, including the International Tolerance Prize from the European Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Health for All Gold Medal from the World Health Organization, the Fulbright Award for her commitment to education and international understanding, and the International Book Committee International Book Award for her work in promoting reading in Egypt. -------------- Brief Bio -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Mrs. Mubarak was born April 28, 1941, in Minya, Egypt, the daughter of a Cairo physician and a Welsh nurse. She is a graduate of American University in Cairo. She is the mother of two sons. Gamal, born in 1963, is Assistant Secretary General of the National Democratic Party and heads the party,s Policies Secretariat. Alaa, born in 1960, has not been involved in politics and devotes himself exclusively to business interests. Alaa,s two sons, Mrs. Mubarak,s only grandchildren (approximately ages 10 and 12),attend Cairo American College (K-12). She speaks fluent, idiomatic English. SCOBEY