Mona Zulficar

Mona Salah El-Din Zulficar is an Egyptian lawyer and human rights activist. She was included in the Forbes 2023 list of the "100 most powerful businesswomen in the Arab region".^[1][2][3]

Mona Zulficar
مني ذو الفقار
Zulficar in 2022
Born	Mona Salah El-Din Zulficar Cairo, Egypt
Nationality	Egyptian
Alma mater	Cairo University
Occupation	Lawyer
Children	1
Father	Salah Zulfikar
Relatives	Ahmed Zulfikar (brother) Ahmed Mourad Bey Zulfikar (Grandfather) Ezz El-Dine Zulfikar (uncle) Mahmoud Zulfikar (uncle) Dina Zulfikar (cousin)
Family	Zulfikar family
Honours	Legion of Honour
Founder and Chairperson of Zulficar and Partners
Incumbent
Assumed office 2009
Chairperson of EFG Hermes
Incumbent
Assumed office 2004

She participates in drafting new laws and developing existing laws related to economic legislation; Zulficar is an active advocate for human rights and women, both locally and internationally, and is campaigning for a new family law, to modernize the legal environment in Egypt, to keep pace with the social changes related to the situation of women, and to provide an open, liberal vision for the future.^[4][5][6][7]

Early life

Mona Salah El-Din Zulficar was born in Abbassia neighborhood of Cairo to the well-off Zulfikar family. Her father Salah Zulfikar (1926-1993) who was a police officer at the time, became a famous film actor and producer, and her mother Nafisa Bahgat was a socialite. She had one brother, Ahmed Zulfikar (1952-2010) who was an engineer and businessman.

Positions held

• Founder and chair of the executive committee, Zulfikar & Partners Law firm, 2009 to date.
• Partner and chairperson of the Board of Directors - Shalakany Law Firm, 2006–2009.
• Vice-chairman of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
• Member of the National Council for Human Rights in Egypt.
• Chairman of the Board of Directors, EFG Hermes, 2004 to date.^[8]
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Egypt.
• President of the Women's Association to improve health.
• President of Al Tadamun Microfinance Foundation.
• Head of the International Women's Advisory Group at the World Bank.
• Member of the National Council for Women (2000-2006).
• Member of the Board of Directors of the International Population Communications Organization.
• Member of the Board of Directors of Banque du Caire, appointed by the Egyptian Prime Minister from 2000 to 2003.
• Member of the Egyptian American Business Council.
• Member of the advisory board of the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa.
• Member and vice-president of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
• Member of the Board of Trustee's of the Women and Memory Foundation.
• She was nominated to take over the Ministry of Human Rights and Population Services in the government of Dr. Ahmed Shafik, the former Prime Minister.

Personal life

Zulficar is married and has one daughter, Dr. Ingy Badawy; a lawyer.

Honours

•  Egypt: Honoring from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt.^[9][10]
•  France: Knight of the Legion d'honneur from the French government.^[11]

Recognition and awards

• The first Egyptian and the first woman to win the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) life time award.^[12][13]
• Chosen in December 1994 by Time magazine as one of the 100 Young Leaders of the Twentieth Century in the world.^[14]
• Named as an Eminent Practitioner in Banking and Finance by Chambers and Partners.^[15]
• CEWLA Award for Outstanding Role in Passing the Khula Law, 2003.^[16]
• United Nations Development Award on International Women's Day, Cairo, 1995.
• Honoring the Governor of Cairo for the Defense of Women's Rights, 2000.
• Ranking in top 20 among the 100 most powerful businesswomen in the Arab region, according to Forbes classification.^[17]

See also

• Economy of Egypt
• List of Egyptians

References

1. Mughal, Waqar. "Mona Zulficar - Top 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2023". Forbes Lists. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
2. Shabbir, Ahsan. "Mona Zulficar". Forbes Lists. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
3. "13 Egyptian women on Forbes Middle East 100 Most Powerful businesswomen 2023 - Society - Egypt". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
4. "Zulficar & Partners Law Firm > Cairo > Egypt | The Legal 500 law firm profiles". www.legal500.com. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
5. "10 Egyptians make it to Forbes Middle East 100 Power Businesswomen list". Enterprise. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
6. "Meet The 10 Egyptian Women Who Made it to Forbes Power Businesswomen in The Middle East 2020". Scoop Empire. 2020-02-16. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
7. "Mona Salah El Din Zulficar | Egypt | Decypha - Don't miss any updates from Decypha. Get your account today to stay up-to-date with your interest!". www.decypha.com. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
8. "8 Egyptians part of Forbes Middle East's Power Businesswomen 2021". Business Today. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
9. "منى ذو الفقار عن تكريمها: سعيدة به للغاية وكلام الرئيس السيسى له أثر كبير على". اليوم السابع (in Arabic). 2022-03-23. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
10. "President El-Sisi and First Lady Celebrate Egyptian Women's Day and Mother of the Year 2022".
11. "Mona Zulficar". whoswholegal. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
12. "Mona Zulficar sets first for Egypt, women at IFLR MENA awards 2018; Sharkawy & Sarhan named Egypt firm of the year". Enterprise. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
13. "Lawyer Mona Zulficar Becomes First Woman to Win Prestigious ILFR Lifetime Achievement Award". Cairo Scene. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
14. "Mona Zulficar". The Women and Memory Forum. 2018-01-15. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
15. "Zulficar & Partners, Global | Chambers Profiles". chambers.com. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
16. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA Ms. Mona Zulficar (Nominated by the Government of Egypt) (PDF).
17. "Mona Zulficar". whoswholegal. Retrieved 2021-08-15.

Further sources

• Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: Mona Zulficar biography