About us
Project Overview:
TASHREE, which translates to “proposing legislation” in Arabic, is a transformative initiative designed to build on the successes of earlier projects, TAMKEEN (empowerment) and TASHBEEK (networking). While these initiatives focused on empowering female academics and strengthening professional networks, TASHREE moves into a critical next phase: proposing legislative and policy reforms to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in senior leadership roles within Egyptian higher education institutions.
The project forms part of the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme, with a specific focus on gender equality and sustainable systemic change.
Background and Rationale
Despite progress in female participation within higher education, women remain significantly underrepresented in executive leadership roles such as deans, vice presidents, and university presidents. This underrepresentation is often reinforced by structural, institutional, and legislative barriers that limit access to leadership pathways.
TASHREE responds to this challenge by generating evidence-based insights and engaging relevant stakeholders to propose reforms that promote fairness, inclusivity, and equal opportunity in academic leadership.
Project Scope and Vision
The project focuses on higher education governance frameworks in Egypt, while drawing on international experience and comparative analysis from the UK and other contexts. By addressing legal and policy gaps, TASHREE aims to create long-term, sustainable change that supports women’s progression into senior leadership positions and contributes to a more equitable academic environment.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Legislative and Policy Analysis
To identify and analyse existing legislative and policy gaps within the Egyptian higher education system that hinder women’s advancement to executive leadership roles. This includes examining national laws, institutional policies, and governance frameworks.
International Model Review
To examine successful international legislative and policy models that have effectively increased female representation in academic leadership. Lessons learned from these models will be assessed for their relevance and adaptability to the Egyptian context.
Development of Legislative Recommendations
To formulate comprehensive, actionable, and evidence-based legislative and policy recommendations aimed at enhancing female representation in senior academic leadership positions within Egyptian higher education institutions.
Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy
To engage a wide range of stakeholders, including female academics, policymakers, university administrators, and gender equality advocates, in order to build consensus, gather insights, and foster support for the proposed legislative reforms.
The TASHREE Workshop is a focused academic and policy-oriented event hosted in the United Kingdom, bringing together female academics, policymakers, university leaders, researchers, and project partners from Egypt and the UK to engage in in-depth discussion on gender equality in higher education leadership.
The workshop serves as a collaborative platform for knowledge exchange, policy reflection, and co-development of legislative recommendations, drawing on comparative insights from both the Egyptian and UK higher education contexts.