Profile: Farkhonda Hassan..Long Journey of Giving

Today, leading women rights figure Farkhonda Hassan has passed away on Friday at the age of 90 according to a statement issued by The National Council for Women. The council sends deep and sorrowful concordances led by Maya Morsi.

Hassan was an iconic feminist and women rights activist for more than 50 years.

Born in 1930, Hassan graduated from Cairo University's Faculty of Science in 1952. She pursued postgraduate studies at Pittsburgh University, where she received a Ph.D. in geology in 1970. She has been a professor of geology at AUC since 1964.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0vB_eXSiXs

Hassan was co-chair of the Gender Advisory Board of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development and Secretary-General (2001) and Member of the National Council for Women in Egypt since 2000. As a scientist, politician, and development specialist.

She has had a career centered on women's causes in policies, public services, sciences, information and technology, social work at the grassroots level, education and culture, and other disciplines.

Her affiliations with national and international organizations, non-governmental organizations, research, and knowledge institutions have been directed towards women's empowerment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRF12ILkEcw

Hassan has served as a short-term consultant and expert to several international and regional programs organized by various UN Organizations such as UNIFEM, UNDP, INSTRAW, and UNESCO.

First elected to the People's Assembly, known now as the House of Representatives, in 1979, she served for four successive terms. She was then named a member of the Shura Council, the upper house, from 1986 to 1989.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zatUkKO8CtU

Other positions such as the chair of the Council of the Ethics of Scientific Research of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology of Egypt, Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), member of its Committee on Opportunities for Science (COOS), member of the Arab Network for Women in Science and Technology (ANWST), member of the Scientists Without Borders program of the New York Academy of Science, and Member of the Selection Committee of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise.