In better times, Om Mohamed's family used to take holidays at resorts on Egypt's Red Sea coast. Now there is no money for vacations. Om Mohamed, 61, and her husband, who live with two grown-up sons in an apartment near the Cairo ringroad, are cutting back on items like meat as they try to get by on his meagre pension from an energy company. Over recent months accelerating inflation has pummelled the spending power of Egyptians, who had already endured repeated economic shocks and years of austerity. Along with a currency crisis, it has exposed the vulnerability of an economy long propped up by international lenders and Gulf allies that see Egypt as a lynchpin of regional security. The government says it is doing what it can to tamp down prices and expand social spending, often blaming current pressures on external factors linked to the war in Ukraine. It also points to a state-led infrastructure boom that has given rise to new roads and cities and helped Egypt's economy stay in growth through the coronavirus pandemic. For Om Mohamed, that is little comfort. Her husband now rises early to queue for heavily subsidized bread. One of her daughters, who lives nearby, has been selling jewellery to pay for her young children's schooling, after finding no state education options in the area. "We don't have a proper sewage system or clean water. Sometimes I open the tap and the water smells like sewage, and I cannot afford to buy bottled water every day," Om Mohamed said during an interview at her apartment in a rubbish-strewn street on the northern outskirts of Cairo. "There is no middle class anymore, only upper-class people are able to live right now," she added. DEVALUATIONS
The fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 exacerbated Egypt's foreign currency crunch, as foreign investors who were already cooling on the country rapidly withdrew more than $20 billion, a tourism recovery was cut short and the bill for key imports spiked. The central bank allowed the first in a series of sharp devaluations and Egypt sought its latest round of support from oil-rich Gulf states and the International Monetary Fund. The Egyptian pound has fallen by nearly 50% since last March and annual headline inflation has climbed above 20%, its highest for five years, though consumers note far steeper price increases for many goods, including basic food items that some shops have begun to ration. While many countries are struggling to contain rampant inflation, Egypt, with a population of 104 million, is among the hardest hit. GRAPHIC: Food and drinks drive soaring Egyptian inflation -
Reuters
About 30% of Egyptians were living in poverty as of 2020, according to official data. While no official figures have been released since before the pandemic, economists estimate that poverty is on the rise, and that many more are living close to the poverty line. Two charities contacted by Reuters said they were finding it hard to fundraise and were worried they would have to cut back on services. The head of one of the charities, the Abwab El Kheir Foundation, said some people who used to donate were now seeking help themselves, putting its provision of meals, medical treatment and other support across 15 Egyptian cities under strain. "The requests for aid in the past three months are double those for the same period last year. All of these are people who have a source of income, but it's becoming too little to sustain a living," said Haitham el-Tabei, speaking ahead of the delivery of meals to a working-class neighbourhood in central Cairo. 'STOP YAPPING'
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a former army chief who ousted Egypt's first democratically elected leader in 2013, has acknowledged that the situation is tough but said the challenges are not of the state's making. Comments by Sisi last week telling Egyptians to "stop yapping" about the economy, drew satirical jibes on social media, as did a recent government directive suggesting chicken feet as a cheap and protein-rich option for hard-up households. So far there are few outward signs of public dissent, which would be risky. Tight security imposed during a far-reaching crackdown on political opposition under Sisi means public protests are effectively banned and social media accounts are subject to surveillance. GRAPHIC: Egyptian pound depreciates to historic low -
Reuters
Still, more economic turmoil in the shorter term complicates Egypt's plans to try to turn things round after the political and economic turbulence that followed its 2011 Arab Spring uprising. The country recently started a new IMF deal, which includes $3 billion in financing to be paid in instalments after reviews, and is meant to push authorities to reduce spending and the debt burden, permanently shift to a flexible exchange rate and undertake structural reforms, including scaling back the economic role of the state and the military. The agreement also provides for increasing social spending to protect the vulnerable. However, if inflation this year remains higher than expected, this could trigger consultations with the IMF and add to budgetary pressures by pushing the government to spend more on subsidies. The government, which heavily subsidizes bread for more than 70 million citizens, this week began providing cost price loaves to those who don't hold subsidy cards. Officials say a cash allowance for the country's poorest families has been expanded to cover more than five million families. For many though, such support falls short. "The charities cover a big part of the needs in Egypt, even for those who receive pensions and the various government allowances," said el-Tabei, the charity director. Team members of Abwab El Kheir Foundation charity carry bags of food and donations from their office in Cairo, Egypt, January 16, 2023. Reuters
Egyptian vegetable sellers wait for customers at a popular market in Cairo, Egypt, January 18, 2023. Reuters
An Egyptian seller waits for customers to buy chicken at a popular market in Cairo, Egypt, January 18, 2023. Reuters
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Egypt's Soaring Prices Drive Home Economic Pain

DJ and promoter A7ba-L-Jelly decided to establish her own collective as part of making the underground electronic dance music scene more inclusiveAFP
Laser beams illuminate a darkened restaurant turned dance hall in Cairo as revellers move to thumping beats from female DJs -- part of a generation of women shaking up Egypt's underground electronic music scene. "All my life, I've seen men behind the decks," said party-goer Menna Shanab, 26, as psychedelic visuals reflected off the waters at the Nile-side venue. "It's good to see the music scene evolving," said the young Cairo resident, decked out in fashionable streetwear. In Egypt's patriarchal society, the music industry remains male-dominated, while the conservative country's cultural establishment marginalises and even bans electronic music artists. Female party-goers for years have complained about harassment on the dance floor, while many revellers find mainstream venues too pricey. Now, a generation of young women DJs are forging their own path, seeking to create more inclusive spaces for performers and party-goers alike. A small but vibrant electronic music scene is "booming" in the Egyptian capital, according Yemeni music journalist and occasional DJ Hala K, asking like others AFP interviewed to be identified only by her stage name. "A lot of female talents feel more confident and empowered to pursue DJing," the Amsterdam-based Hala K said by telephone. Aspiring artists are taking inspiration from female DJs from the region, she added -- such as Palestinian Sama Abdulhadi, who has performed from Egypt to France and at premier US festival Coachella. In Cairo, there are "powerful, talented women at the turntables: they know how to make people dance", Hala K said. DJ and promoter A7ba-L-Jelly decided to establish her own collective as part of making the underground electronic dance music scene more inclusive. "I wanted to organise events where I would feel safe myself, without harassment," said the 32-year-old. "I just wanted to go and party in peace." More than 90 percent of women in Egypt aged between 18 and 39 said in 2019 that they had experienced some form of sexual harassment, according to the Arab Barometer public opinion research network. "In some places in Egypt, where they play more commercial music... you won't enter because you are single, or because you don't look rich enough," A7ba-L-Jelly added. "I book male and female DJs to create dance floors that are inclusive in terms of music, gender and social class," she said. From the Nile-side dance venue, DJ Yas Meen Selectress complained that regardless of gender, "there are no dedicated spaces for us where we can play our music". Locations are often gardens or other makeshift sites, organisers told AFP. "Traditions, society and other factors mean that there are fewer women than men in the scene," Yas Meen Selectress added. Less than 20 percent of women are officially employed in the country of 104 million. For the DJ in her late 20s, who lives between Cairo and New York, however, "to be only defined by one's gender is reductive". For others like Dalia Hassan, it is a selling point. Over the past two decades, she has made a name for herself playing at women-only events from Cairo to the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Hassan said she DJs at bachelorette parties, gender-segregated weddings and anywhere a female audience wants to "get dressed up and dance as they please". Having a woman at the turntables allows other women to let loose -- "especially those who are veiled", she added. For France-based researcher Hajer Ben Boubaker, the lack of women DJs runs counter to Egypt's strong tradition of women performers. "Female singers have always been well represented in the Arab cultural scene," she told AFP. "The symbol par excellence of Egyptian music is still the mythical Umm Kalthoum," she added, referring to the 20th-century diva revered around the Arab world. But "women are barely represented in the Egyptian electro scene of mahraganat, which is the most popular music today," she added. Mahraganat relies heavily on computer-generated and synthesised beats and features blunt lyrics that tackle topics including love, power and money. The country's musicians' union announced late last year it was abolishing the genre as part of a campaign to "preserve public taste". Frederike Berje from Germany's Goethe-Institut in Cairo noted that Egypt's "music industry, especially the electronic scene, is heavily dependent on private initiatives and the commitment of individual artists". Despite rising numbers of women DJs, however, it "remains dominated by men -- especially when it comes to production and management", she added. A generation of young women DJs are forging their own path in Egypt, seeking to create more inclusive spaces for performers and party-goers alikeAFP
Female party-goers for years have complained about harassment on the dance floor in EgyptAFP
In Egypt's patriarchal society, the music industry remains male-dominatedAFP
DJ Yas Meen Selectress complained that regardless of gender, 'there are no dedicated spaces for us where we can play our music'AFP
Conservative Egypt's cultural establishment marginalises and even bans electronic music artistsAFP
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A Rave Of Their Own: Egypt's Women DJs Creating Inclusive Dance Floors

Published January 8th, 2023 - 06:11 GMT
People attend a music performance by Egyptian DJ Yas Meen Selectress at a restaurant-turned-dance-hall in Egypt's capital Cairo on September 10, 2022. In Egypt's patriarchal society, the music industry remains male-dominated, while the conservative country's cultural establishment marginalises and even bans electronic music artists. Female party-goers for years have complained about harassment on the dance floor, while many revellers find mainstream venues too pricey. Now, a generation of young women DJs are forging their own path, seeking to create more inclusive spaces for performers and party-goers alike. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
Laser beams illuminate a darkened restaurant turned dance hall in Cairo as revellers move to thumping beats from female DJs - part of a generation of women shaking up Egypt's underground electronic music scene. "All my life, I've seen men behind the decks," said party-goer Menna Shanab, 26, as psychedelic visuals reflected off the waters at the Nile-side venue. "It's good to see the music scene evolving," said the young Cairo resident, decked out in fashionable streetwear. In Egypt's patriarchal society, the music industry remains male-dominated, while the conservative country's cultural establishment marginalises and even bans electronic music artists. Female party-goers for years have complained about harassment on the dance floor, while many revellers find mainstream venues too pricey. Now, a generation of young women DJs are forging their own path, seeking to create more inclusive spaces for performers and party-goers alike. A small but vibrant electronic music scene is "booming" in the Egyptian capital, according Yemeni music journalist and occasional DJ Hala K, asking like others AFP interviewed to be identified only by her stage name. "A lot of female talents feel more confident and empowered to pursue DJing," the Amsterdam-based Hala K said by telephone. Aspiring artists are taking inspiration from female DJs from the region, she added - such as Palestinian Sama Abdulhadi, who has performed from Egypt to France and at premier US festival Coachella. In Cairo, there are "powerful, talented women at the turntables: they know how to make people dance", Hala K said. DJ and promoter A7ba-L-Jelly decided to establish her own collective as part of making the underground electronic dance music scene more inclusive. "I wanted to organise events where I would feel safe myself, without harassment," said the 32-year-old. "I just wanted to go and party in peace." More than 90 percent of women in Egypt aged between 18 and 39 said in 2019 that they had experienced some form of sexual harassment, according to the Arab Barometer public opinion research network. "In some places in Egypt, where they play more commercial music... you won't enter because you are single, or because you don't look rich enough," A7ba-L-Jelly added. "I book male and female DJs to create dance floors that are inclusive in terms of music, gender and social class," she said. From the Nile-side dance venue, DJ Yas Meen Selectress complained that regardless of gender, "there are no dedicated spaces for us where we can play our music". Locations are often gardens or other makeshift sites, organisers told AFP. "Traditions, society and other factors mean that there are fewer women than men in the scene," Yas Meen Selectress added. Less than 20 percent of women are officially employed in the country of 104 million. For the DJ in her late 20s, who lives between Cairo and New York, however, "to be only defined by one's gender is reductive". For others like Dalia Hassan, it is a selling point. Over the past two decades, she has made a name for herself playing at women-only events from Cairo to the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Hassan said she DJs at bachelorette parties, gender-segregated weddings and anywhere a female audience wants to "get dressed up and dance as they please". Having a woman at the turntables allows other women to let loose -- "especially those who are veiled", she added. For France-based researcher Hajer Ben Boubaker, the lack of women DJs runs counter to Egypt's strong tradition of women performers. "Female singers have always been well represented in the Arab cultural scene," she told AFP. "The symbol par excellence of Egyptian music is still the mythical Umm Kalthoum," she added, referring to the 20th-century diva revered around the Arab world. But "women are barely represented in the Egyptian electro scene of mahraganat, which is the most popular music today," she added. Mahraganat relies heavily on computer-generated and synthesised beats and features blunt lyrics that tackle topics including love, power and money. The country's musicians' union announced late last year it was abolishing the genre as part of a campaign to "preserve public taste". Frederike Berje from Germany's Goethe-Institut in Cairo noted that Egypt's "music industry, especially the electronic scene, is heavily dependent on private initiatives and the commitment of individual artists". Despite rising numbers of women DJs, however, it "remains dominated by men - especially when it comes to production and management", she added. By Sofiane Alsaar

Egypt's women DJs rock music scene in Cairo

2 seconds ago
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Egyptian DJ Yas Meen Selectress plays music at a restaurant-turned-dance-hall in Egypt's capital Cairo. In Egypt's patriarchal society, the music industry remains male-dominated, while the conservative country's cultural establishment marginalises and even bans electronic music artists. - AFP photos
Laser beams illuminate a darkened restaurant turned dance hall in Cairo as revellers move to thumping beats from female DJs — part of a generation of women shaking up Egypt’s underground electronic music scene. “All my life, I’ve seen men behind the decks,” said party-goer Menna Shanab, 26, as psychedelic visuals reflected off the waters at the Nile-side venue. “It’s good to see the music scene evolving,” said the young Cairo resident, decked out in fashionable streetwear. In Egypt’s patriarchal society, the music industry remains male-dominated, while the conservative country’s cultural establishment marginalises and even bans electronic music artists. Female party-goers for years have complained about harassment on the dance floor, while many revellers find mainstream venues too pricey. Now, a generation of young women DJs are forging their own path, seeking to create more inclusive spaces for performers and party-goers alike. A small but vibrant electronic music scene is “booming” in the Egyptian capital, according Yemeni music journalist and occasional DJ Hala K, asking like others AFP interviewed to be identified only by her stage name. “A lot of female talents feel more confident and empowered to pursue DJing,” the Amsterdam-based Hala K said by telephone. Aspiring artists are taking inspiration from female DJs from the region, she added — such as Palestinian Sama Abdulhadi, who has performed from Egypt to France and at premier US festival Coachella. In Cairo, there are “powerful, talented women at the turntables: they know how to make people dance”, Hala K said. People attend a music performance by Egyptian DJ Yas Meen Selectress at a restaurant-turned-dance-hall in Cairo. ‘Party in peace’
DJ and promoter A7ba-L-Jelly decided to establish her own collective as part of making the underground electronic dance music scene more inclusive. “I wanted to organise events where I would feel safe myself, without harassment,” said the 32-year-old. “I just wanted to go and party in peace.” More than 90 percent of women in Egypt aged between 18 and 39 said in 2019 that they had experienced some form of sexual harassment, according to the Arab Barometer public opinion research network. “In some places in Egypt, where they play more commercial music… you won’t enter because you are single, or because you don’t look rich enough,” A7ba-L-Jelly added. “I book male and female DJs to create dance floors that are inclusive in terms of music, gender and social class,” she said. From the Nile-side dance venue, DJ Yas Meen Selectress complained that regardless of gender, “there are no dedicated spaces for us where we can play our music”. Locations are often gardens or other makeshift sites, organisers told AFP. Egyptian DJ A7ba-L-Jelly plays music during a concert in Giza. “Traditions, society and other factors mean that there are fewer women than men in the scene,” Yas Meen Selectress added. Less than 20 percent of women are officially employed in the country of 104 million. For the DJ in her late 20s, who lives between Cairo and New York, however, “to be only defined by one’s gender is reductive”. For others like Dalia Hassan, it is a selling point. Over the past two decades, she has made a name for herself playing at women-only events from Cairo to the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Hassan said she DJs at bachelorette parties, gender-segregated weddings and anywhere a female audience wants to “get dressed up and dance as they please”. Having a woman at the turntables allows other women to let loose — “especially those who are veiled”, she added. ‘Dominated by men’
For France-based researcher Hajer Ben Boubaker, the lack of women DJs runs counter to Egypt’s strong tradition of women performers. “Female singers have always been well represented in the Arab cultural scene,” she told AFP. Egyptian DJ Yas Meen Selectress plays music at a restaurant. “The symbol par excellence of Egyptian music is still the mythical Umm Kalthoum,” she added, referring to the 20th-century diva revered around the Arab world. But “women are barely represented in the Egyptian electro scene of mahraganat, which is the most popular music today,” she added. Mahraganat relies heavily on computer-generated and synthesised beats and features blunt lyrics that tackle topics including love, power and money. The country’s musicians’ union announced late last year it was abolishing the genre as part of a campaign to “preserve public taste”. Frederike Berje from Germany’s Goethe-Institut in Cairo noted that Egypt’s “music industry, especially the electronic scene, is heavily dependent on private initiatives and the commitment of individual artists”. Despite rising numbers of women DJs, however, it “remains dominated by men — especially when it comes to production and management”, she added. – AFP

Egypt’s women DJs creating inclusive dance floors

Egypt’s female DJs open up inclusive dance floors
AFP, CAIRO
Laser beams illuminate a darkened restaurant-turned dance hall in Cairo as revelers move to thumping beats from female DJs — part of a generation of women shaking up Egypt’s underground electronic music scene. “All my life, I’ve seen men behind the decks,” party-goer Menna Shanab said, as psychedelic visuals reflected off the waters at the Nile-side venue. “It’s good to see the music scene evolving,” the 26-year-old Cairo resident said, decked out in fashionable clothes. Egyptian DJ A7ba-L-Jelly plays music during a concert in Giza, Egypt, on Nov. 4 last year. Photo: AFP
In Egypt’s patriarchal society, the music industry remains male-dominated, while the conservative country’s cultural establishment marginalizes and even bans electronic music artists. Female party-goers for years have complained about harassment on the dance floor, while many revelers find mainstream venues too pricey. However, a generation of young female DJs are forging their own path, seeking to create more inclusive spaces for performers and party-goers. A small but vibrant electronic music scene is “booming” in the Egyptian capital, Yemeni music journalist and occasional DJ Hala K said, asking to be identified by her stage name. “A lot of female talents feel more confident and empowered to pursue DJing,” Amsterdam-based Hala K said by telephone. Aspiring artists are taking inspiration from female DJs from the region, she added. For example, Palestinian Sama Abdulhadi, who has performed from Egypt to France and at premier US festival Coachella. In Cairo, there are “powerful, talented women at the turntables: They know how to make people dance,” Hala K said. DJ and promoter A7ba-L-Jelly established her own collective as part of making the underground electronic dance music scene more inclusive. “I wanted to organize events where I would feel safe myself, without harassment,” the 32-year-old said. “I just wanted to go and party in peace.”
More than 90 percent of women in Egypt aged 18 to 39 said in 2019 that they had experienced some form of sexual harassment, according to the Arab Barometer public opinion research network. “In some places in Egypt, where they play more commercial music ... you won’t enter because you are single, or because you don’t look rich enough,” A7ba-L-Jelly added. “I book male and female DJs to create dance floors that are inclusive in terms of music, gender and social class,” she said. From the Nile-side dance venue, DJ Yas Meen Selectress said that regardless of gender, “there are no dedicated spaces for us where we can play our music.”
Locations are often gardens or other makeshift sites, organizers said. “Traditions, society and other factors mean that there are fewer women than men in the scene,” Yas Meen Selectress added. Less than 20 percent of women are officially employed in the country of 104 million. However, for the DJ in her late 20s, who lives between Cairo and New York, “to be only defined by one’s gender is reductive.”
For others like Dalia Hassan, it is a selling point. Over the past two decades, she has made a name for herself playing at women-only events from Cairo to the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Hassan said she DJs at bachelorette parties, gender-segregated weddings and anywhere a female audience wants to “get dressed up and dance as they please.”
Having a woman at the turntables allows other women to let loose, “especially those who are veiled,” she added. France-based researcher Hajer Ben Boubaker said the lack of female DJs runs counter to Egypt’s strong tradition of female performers. “Female singers have always been well represented in the Arab cultural scene,” she said. “The symbol par excellence of Egyptian music is still the mythical Umm Kulthum,” she added, referring to the 20th-century diva revered around the Arab world. However, “women are barely represented in the Egyptian electro scene of mahraganat, which is the most popular music today,” she added. Mahraganat relies heavily on computer-generated and synthesized beats, and features blunt lyrics that tackle topics including love, power and money. The country’s musicians’ union announced late last year that it was abolishing the genre as part of a campaign to “preserve public taste.”
Frederike Berje from the Goethe-Institut in Cairo said that Egypt’s “music industry, especially the electronic scene, is heavily dependent on private initiatives and the commitment of individual artists.”
Despite rising numbers of women DJs, it “remains dominated by men — especially when it comes to production and management,” she added. Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

Egypt’s female DJs open up inclusive dance floors

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