The Opening of ′′Safe Women's Unit ′′ at Mansoura University

Today on Sunday 13th December 2020, Prof. Ashraf Abdel-Basset, the President of Mansoura University and Dr. Maya Morsy, the head of the National Council for Women opened the ′′Safe Women's Unit ′′ at Gynecology and Obstetrics Department at the University's Main Hospital.

The unit was founded in cooperation between Mansoura University and the National Council for Women (United Nations Population Fund) which is specialized in receiving and offering the medical and the psychological support for women who were exposed to violence. The attendees were: Mrs. Germeen Haddad, United Nations Population Fund Representative, Prof. Nesrin Omar, the former dean of the faculty of Medicine and member of the Representatives Council in Egypt, prof. Basma Shoman, the vice-dean of the faculty of Medicine, prof. Tamer Abou Elsaad, the dean in charge of the faculty of Medicine, Prof. ElSahraawy Kamal, the manager of the University's Main Hospital, Prof. Hamed Youssef, the head of Gynecology and Obstetrics department, Prof. Sahar AlDakroury, the head of Forensic Medicine and Txicology Department, Prof. Maha Shaheen, the head of the medical and human support committee and Dr. Samah ElSaeed, the coordinator of Anti-Violence Against Women Unit.
Prof.Ashraf Abdel-Basset stressed on the important of establishing the new unit to provide medical services and support for women who were exposed to violence. Further, he noted that the university established Anti-Violence Against Women Unit to face all types of violence. Besides, an email and a website for the unit were created for women inside the university to report for violence or harassment inside the university. The National Council for Women called for creating a complaint box as a way to receive complaint of women who could not use social media. In addition to, modifying or adding a paragraph in University's Regulation Law to allow the president of the university to punish the harasser student and to dismiss him immediately and transfer him to the punishment council.

Dr.Maya Mosry, the head of the National Council for Women thanked all Mansoura university's leaders and all Egyptian women as well as the efforts to establish safe women's unit. Further, she added that this day is considered one of 16 days for anti-violence against women which is considered an initiative that launched in a parallelism with the International Day for Anti-Violence Against Women. Besides, Mansoura University is the first university among other universities to request signing a cooperation protocol to establish anti-violence against women unit. She expressed her glad that Safe Women's Unit is among a comprehensive organization inside the university which help accelerate the mission of the unit as the unit can sign cooperation with other universities and other units. She added that the opening of the unit is under the framework of the national strategy of anti-violence against women 2030 which was accredited by Mr. President of Egypt and the Egyptian legislation that guarantees the women's right as the state guarantees women's protection and support.

Mrs. Germeen Hadaad expressed her glad towards establishing a comprehensive unit at the faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University and caring for setting an action plan to highlight the benefit of the unit for women and offering the medical response to deal with violence cases with all its types and offering all services for women who were exposed to violence. Prof.Nesrin Omar, the member of the Representatives Council in Egypt confirmed that the idea of establishing the unit was among the Community Service and Environmental Development projects in 2016 and a part of women empowerment 2030. Besides, a number of workshops and seminar on this topic were held to spread this culture inside and outside the university with the support of the university's administration. Furthermore, the new unit will provide medical and psychological support for women via the units of the faculty of Medicine. Prof. Tamer Abou ElSaad noted that the university is the first university among the other universities that requested signing a cooperation protocol to establish anti-violence against women unit and they will start to help women who were exposed to violence as well as offering medical and physiological support and offering a safe haven for them through the cooperation with the Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs sector at the faculty and the National Council for Women.

Prof. Hamed Youssef presented the university's care for establishing specialized units to hospitalize women who were exposed to violence and the unit is well prepared for the women's needs, to offer the medical care in examination place and sonar devices and following confidentiality with all cases who faced violence. Prof. Maha Shaheen showed that the faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University started different stages to deal with women were exposed to violence as the faculty seeks to protect women and offer all ways of support and medical care through the new unit. Further, a number of medical courses were held for the medical and nursing staff on how to deal with women who were exposed to violence and offer the physiological support as well as provide a safe haven for her.