Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

10/11/2021

http://www.ijiet.org/vol11/1552-IJIET-2566.pdf

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

01/07/2021

https://journals.ekb.eg/article_126353_69231f440393c8bb61958de2b1dcec4e.pdf

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

26/02/2019

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/REPS-09-2018-0001/full/html

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

01/05/2015

This paper emphasizes on enacting comprehensive mainstreaming institutional mechanisms to promote the role of women in socio-economic development in the Arab region. Sustainable development could never take place unless both the government and civil society are committed towards women empowerment and gender parity to achieve gender mainstreaming. However, cultural legacy, with its socioeconomic and political dimensions, is envisaged as the most challenging impediment. There are three critical areas of concern of substantive nature, which are high rates of women illiteracy, passive representative bureaucracy, as a result of under-representation at decision-making levels, as well as gender disparity. To investigate women empowerment challenges in the region, the study first presents the multifaceted hurdle of cultural legacy and identifies the relevant social, economic and political challenges from a multidisciplinary perspective. Thereafter, it looks at two inseparable issues facing women in the Arab region, illiteracy and under-representation at decision-making levels. The study, then, indicates the pressing need for policy changes to fill up the massive gender gap existing in the majority of Arab States, where not only a description of gender disparity profile of the Arab region is presented but also a comparative outlook vis-à-vis global trends is highlighted. Finally, the research identifies the indispensable roles of both the government and civil society to address key challenges in synchrony. It does not only call for placing women empowerment among the top priorities on the agenda of policy-makers in setting development plans, but also reiterates the significant role of civil society institutions in the areas of illiteracy eradication, civic education, and women rights advocacy. In this context, a framework of recommended policy actions is presented in an attempt to set effective women empowerment mechanisms to achieve gender mainstreaming and hence contribute to sustainable development.

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

01/02/2015

Literacy sets a building block for modern societies and sustainable development. It transcends the notion of basic reading and writing skills as it denotes technology literacy as well as communication skills within a specific sociocultural context. It sets an effective approach towards human resource development and promotes citizen active participation in the society. Eradicating illiteracy in the Arab world has become a pressing regional issue that should be placed at the top of the Arab governments' agenda, calling for collaborative efforts which would dramatically contribute to upgrading functional literacy, socioeconomic development, reducing unemployment and most importantly rescuing and promoting the Arabic language. Arabic language is one of the strongest bonds among Arab people and the backbone of Arab identity and Arab civilization, yet it has been facing serious threats imposed by globalization and technological developments challenging its existence and boosting risks of its marginalization. Hence such a threat decisively requires prompt, updated and creative unified vision and action. The League of Arab States (LAS) has failed, for many years, to actively play its supranational role to promote common Arab interests and resolve Arab issues. Its functional re-engineering has become indispensable for its survival and institutional effectiveness. This study focuses on the role of LAS and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) in initiating, coordinating and monitoring a unified Arab Literacy Socio-Economic Development (ALSED) Project. The mission of this process is to achieve sustainable socioeconomic development in the region through synchronization of both industrial development and illiteracy eradication.

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

01/01/2015

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of mass civic education in creating a highly participatory environment in the public sphere and active engagement in promoting public policy exchange which is indispensable in transitional democracies. The paper explains how this process revolves around the concept of rational neutrality as a backbone, where absence of absolute neutrality characterizes the current context of political realities. The paper reflects on Tamarod movement in Egypt, during the period between April 2013 and June 2013 as a case study, which has creatively introduced a form of neutral mass civic education as effective means to educate and empower masses capacities to become actively engaged in their own governance and actually contributing to public policy exchange. The first part of the paper, to illustrate the environmental context in which Tamarod surfaced, overviews critical events that took place in Egypt between February 11, 2011 and June 30, 2013. Thereafter, it introduces Tamarod (Rebel) movement and how it emerged taking the active leading role in June 30 revolution that has changed the modern history of Egypt. The second part presents the public sphere and an account of its contemporary structural change. The study analyzes how Tamarod interfaced with dialogical opportunities and challenges, and created a rationally neutral platform for public discourse assessed against specific neutrality measurement criteria. In light of the crucial role of civic education, especially during periods of transition, in creating an environment conducive to active participation of citizens to address public will, the paper investigates variables and mechanisms for inducing somehow neutral mass civic education environment. An environment which could articulate common public interests, values, rights and duties through an iterative process of dialogical participation and finally integrate such active engagement in public policy exchange.

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

01/10/2014

This research proposes a bundle of recommendations aiming at conceptualizing a comprehensive framework to develop the baladi bread distribution system which has been recently launched since April 13, 2014 in Port Said. It presents effective up scaling mechanisms across all regions in Egypt. For this purpose, the study utilized an analytical descriptive approach in addition to primary and secondary sources as well as personal interviews. The paper covers six sections. The first part of the paper presents the status quo of bread subsidy in light of incurred costs as a percentage of food subsidy, in particular, and as a percentage of goods and services subsidies in general. Thereafter the study overviews subsidized bread production system and reflects on indicators pertaining to the diversity of bakeries in terms of their types and geographic distribution vis-à-vis population density. In addition, the paper illustrates both production and distribution chains as well as identifies the role of stakeholders. In light of the problems this industry chronically suffers as well as analysis of the new subsidy system which the government has launched, the paper investigates points of strengths and weaknesses of the new system. Finally, for up scaling purpose, the study conceptualizes and proposes recommended actions to ensure effective implementation of a well integrated bread subsidy system.

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

01/01/2012

Moving from an authoritarian regime to a progressive build-up of democratic transition requires radical institutional reforms that are highly challenged by the ability of the state to decide on policy actions that reflect the interests, needs and values of the majority. No doubt that policy decisions arrived at through an iterative process of stakeholders consent most likely have very low cost of enforcement and high degree of effectiveness, which insinuate a high level of political advocacy and commitment. Virtual space has created new avenues for participation of an increasing number of unofficial policy actors including beneficiaries and advocates, who are now facing ever increasing social, economic and political stakes. Virtual/cyber advocacy refers to the use of social media networks to advance public policy initiatives and change. As we are moving toward advocacy practice in virtual environments, we are faced with new opportunities to build a more vibrant broader base of community advocates compared to those belonging to the traditional faces of advocacy. Yet shifting cyber advocacy into real public policy impact raises numerous critical issues, some of which this paper explores. The paper focuses on three main dimensions: First, a conceptual approach to public policy virtual advocacy; second, study the impact of social networks, as a rapidly growing communication resource that has recently proliferated on political discourse and public policy; and third, explore mechanisms to articulate common public interest expressed through virtual advocacy coalitions in public policy environment.

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky

01/01/2012

International Conference for Economic, Business, and Financial Challenges in MENA & GCC Countries, 2012, Dead Sea, Jordan, May 16 – 18, International Journals of Management & Business Studies, 2012. http://www.isjse.org/uploads/International_Journal_of_Management_&_Business_Studies_June_2012_001.pdf Abstract: Moving from an authoritarian regime to a progressive build-up of democratic transition requires radical institutional reforms that are highly challenged by the ability of the state to decide on policy actions that reflect the interests, needs and values of the majority. No doubt that policy decisions arrived at through an iterative process of stakeholders consent most likely have very low cost of enforcement and high degree of effectiveness, which insinuate a high level of political advocacy and commitment. Virtual space has created new avenues for participation of an increasing number of unofficial policy actors including beneficiaries and advocates, who are now facing ever increasing social, economic and political stakes. Virtual/cyber advocacy refers to the use of social media networks to advance public policy initiatives and change. As we are moving toward advocacy practice in virtual environments, we are faced with new opportunities to build a more vibrant broader base of community advocates compared to those belonging to the traditional faces of advocacy. Yet shifting cyber advocacy into real public policy impact raises numerous critical issues, some of which this paper explores. The paper focuses on three main dimensions: First, a conceptual approach to public policy virtual advocacy; second, study the impact of social networks, as a rapidly growing communication resource that has recently proliferated on political discourse and public policy; and third, explore mechanisms to articulate common public interest expressed through virtual advocacy coalitions in public policy environment.

Salwa Mamdouh Thabet Maged Mekky