MP slammed over body-shaming comment about flight attendants

CAIRO – 26 December 2017: A controversial statement was made inside the Egyptian parliament when parliamentarian Galila Othman addressed Minister of Civil Aviation Sherif Fathy wondering about the appropriate appearance and weight of Egyptian flight attendants.

Othman argued with Fathy about the appearance of “over-aged female flight attendants” (more than 50 years old). She demanded he transfer them to other positions in EgyptAir. “The female flight attendants should not be over-weight; if this is their current appearance, we can work on improving it,” the parliamentarian added in her statement.

This statement, however, caused a wave of rage among the Egyptian society and the flight attendants union, which said in a response statement that Othman’s comments are considered a “discrimination against women.”

In its statement responding to the Egyptian parliamentarian’s allegations, the union said that the main criterion for this profession is the “health fitness of flying”, and that “if the honorable parliamentarian does not see her statements as a discrimination against women, then we advise to implement her listed requests and suggestions on the parliament members first,” the union’s statement read.

Othman considers the union’s response “inappropriate” and “offensive”. In statements to Masrawy website on December 26, Othman affirmed that she will not be responding personally to the union, and she demanded Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal investigate the whole issue.

Othman added that all what she has asked for is improving the appearance of EgyptAir’s attendants in order to for the airline to preserve the governmental-owned company’s reputation. “The current situation for the company is unfortunately miserable,” Othman said.

EgyptAir is the flag carrier airline of Egypt. According to its website, it started operations in May 1932 as the first airline in the Middle East and Africa, and the seventh airline in the world.