Egypt

Edited by: Mohamed El Agati

Hania Sobhi, Heba Wanis, Mohamed Gad, Shimaa El Sharkawy, Mohamed El Agati

Social justice concept is contested concept, and there is no consensus about it, some believe it is an abstract concept that is only aiming at highlighting a certain policy or a suggestion that a speaker wants us to support. While many others believe that, it is concept that can be translated into certain indicators that can be achieved through adopting certain policies especially when it is related to social problems such as inequality, unemployment, unjust allocation and distribution of resources. One of the main contesting aspects of the social justice concept is the issue of overlapping between what is political and what is economic. While some perceive the issues of resources and its allocation as a mere economic technical issue, others highlight the fact that it is an interrelated issue and it is quite difficult to separate between what is political and what is economic.

The four sectors studied in this book are health, education, housing and social security sector. They are basic public services sectors that different countries in the world are trying to develop, although the reasons for this are different, some consider it a milestone to achieve legitimacy for the regime or the ruling party. Others perceive it as developing and supporting local markets by creating a class with the ability to enter these markets, and we see other regimes that use them to establish a state of satisfaction and stability. However, it has become established that these services are no longer grants, but rather fundamental rights of citizens on one hand and an important component of development on the other hand. Governments usually deal with these services through the so-called public policies.

The book addresses a key question with application on the four sectors: How did policy-making affect social justice in Egypt? This includes addressing the status of the sector and its main problems, as well as analysing the sector environment in terms of strengths and weaknesses. In addition to analysing the surrounding context in terms of opportunities and challenges, also the most important problems related to the methodology of public policy making in the sector at both the legislative and the executive levels, and finally introducing strategies to deal with the problems raised. All these questions were tackled in the four sectors through an analytical final chapter at the end of the book.

Full Arabic version of the Book is available at Dar Al Maraya for Cultural Production, 23 Abdel Khaliq Tharwat Street, Downtown, Cairo, and at Arab Forum for Alternatives office in Beirut, West house 3 Building, Jane Darc, Hamra St., Beirut, Lebanon. For an Arabic synopsis: http://bit.ly/2WSaClP