Gameela Ismail

Background, education, and family life

Born in 1966 in Cairo Qasr el Nil district, Gameela Ismail studied in Al Gezira Language School in Zamalek, where she currently lives. She graduated in 1986 from the Cairo University Faculty of Mass Communication. After being selected university rover scout crew leader, she distinguished herself in her activities in the student union throughout the years of study.

She obtained a Diploma in Simultaneous Interpretation from the American University in Cairo, and then chose to work in media and journalism as a correspondent for various foreign magazines and papers in Cairo. She moved into Egyptian television, reflecting the realities, pain, and dreams of ordinary people through her work as a presenter in a number of programs reporting from the street. Ismail was formerly married to politician Ayman Nour. They have two sons.

Throughout her career, Ismail has worked as an advocate for human and women's rights, as a television presenter for Egyptian state television, as a stringer for Newsweek, and as a media spokesperson.

Career and Political Involvement Before January 25, 2011

In 1994, she began working in local public service through an NGO in downtown Cairo. The residents in Darb el Ahmar, el Mosky, el Gamaliya, Bab el Sha’riya, el Zaher, and Manshiet Nasr repeatedly honored her for her sincere efforts over ten years in providing housing, healthcare, and education services, and in working with local popular committee members to address the neighborhood residents’ problems.

In 2001, she ran for office in the Shura elections, amid large celebration and popular support from Cairo downtown residents, recognizing her dedication in providing real services, running against the majority leader in the ruling party at that time.

In 2003, she participated in founding the Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) Party. She served as vice-president of Al-Ghad Party

In 2004, she became a member of its high council.

In 2005, she led a media campaign for the party's candidate in the presidential elections.

From 2004 to 2010, she participated in national struggle to free prisoners of conscience, prisoners of opinion, and political detainees, and participated in campaigns calling for the ousting of Mubarak and for rejecting inherited succession and extension of powers, confronting tyranny and corruption, defending freedom of opinion and expression. She became an active member in most social protest movements calling for change, along with national currents and powers (Kefaya, Egyptian Women with Change, Madaneya, National Association for Change).

In 2010, she ran in parliamentary elections against one of the most important figures in the dissolved National Democratic Party. She challenged him again in 2007.

Involvement in the January 25 Revolution

In January 2011, she was among those who called for the January 25 Revolution, led marches to Tahrir Square and protested in sit-ins until the fall of the regime. [1]

In August 2014, Mubarak-era Interior Minister Habib al-Adly accused Ismail and others of "setting police stations ablaze with Molotov cocktails" during the 18-day uprising.

After January 25

After the revolution, Ismail founded the Egyptian Women for Change.

In June 2011, she emerged as one of the most important political analysis program presenters on television, through her weekly program "E'aadet Nazar" (Reconsideration).

In November 2011, she ran again in the first post-revolution parliamentary elections, running for an individual seat in the downtown Qasr el Nil district, independent of any party or political current, and won almost 30,000 votes, coming in just 100 votes less than the Freedom and Justice Party and Egyptian Bloc candidates. She claims she received nearly 30,000 votes, coming in less than 100 votes behind the candidates for the Freedom and Justice Party, and those of Egyptian Bloc.

In the Spring of 2012, she participated in the founding of the Constitution Party(AlDostour Party), founded and led by Dr. Mohamed ElBaradai. She has been a member of the committee of one hundred, leading member in the steering committee, and head of the party’s organizing secretariat in April 2013.

In March 2013, she directed a message to John Kerry during a meeting with him in Cairo, and which was picked up by the media, requesting him to stop supporting former president Mohamed Morsi, saying, “You want democracy for us in a shape and size defined by the American administration, but we Egyptian people are building democracy on the imagination and dreams of the January 25Revolution, and we will show you that we are capable of revolution again.”

In May 2013, she participated in the call for June 30, and led party marches to the Presidential Palace.

In December 2013, she called for participation in a non-partisan campaign called “Hakkem A'aqlak”(Use your judgment) for citizen awareness-raising on the articles in the constitution, a campaign which was carried out in various Egyptian governorates.

In January 2014, she was nominated for the position of Dostour Party president, to succeed Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, heading the list "Elbaquaa' le mann yabny" (Those who build persevere) After a mission building the party, she held an active leadership role from April to December 2013.

From 2011 - 2014, she has played a prominent role in the struggle to complete the revolution in Egypt, defending its aims and goals through her political action, support and contribution in a number of revolutionary protest movements, a role which continues to date.

Ismail's Twitter account, which has 1.6 million followers, comes top among all female politicians in the Arab world and also makes her one of the 10 most-followed politicians in Egypt, along with Dr. Baradie and eight others. Her account is considered to make her one of the most active/influential politicians on social media.

In August 2015 she launched an initiative to raise the income of medical doctors in Egypt and called for equal financial rights for the medical and health sector with that of the police, judiciary and army sectors.

Awards and Recognition

In 2011, Gameela Ismail figured among the 150 most influential people across the world according to a Newsweek/Daily Post poll, and one of the top four women in the “Sisters of the Arab Spring” on BBC television.

In March 2015, she was nominated by CNN Arabic website and received the highest number of votes for most influential Arab female politician. Other candidates included Queen Rania of Jordan and Sheikha Moza of Qatar.