VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #0843/01 1341556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141556Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2437
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

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. 
 
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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. 
 
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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. 
 
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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. 
 
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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