Shahira Amin

Shahira Amin is an Egyptian TV journalist who worked for Egypt State TV between 1989 to 2011. She has been a freelance contributor to CNN's Inside Africa since 2002. Amin has produced feature stories on female genital mutilation, the plight of Sudanese refugees, discrimination against Copts in Egypt, the Nile water dispute and Wahhabi influence on Egyptian culture and the arts, among others. She is twice winner of Best news report in the annual CNN World Report Competition (2004 and 2008). She has also been recognized by UNICEF for her efforts to improve the status of women and children in her country (Certificate of recognition, Beirut 2009).

She has hosted  many high profile personalities  on her weekly program "In the Hot Seat" broadcast on Nile TV (Egypt TV's English Language Channel) including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, US Ambassador  on women's issues Verveer,  US Secretary of Trade Ron Kirk, President of Finland Tarja Halonen ,Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Former First Lady Jehane Sadat, Former Ghanaian President John Kufuor, Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed, ILO Chief Juan Somavia to mention but a few. Amin has also contributed articles to various  publications including the Dubai-based The World, Egypt's state sponsored al Ahram Weekly , El Masry el Yom (independent) portal , Emirates News and others. Shahira resigned from her job on the 3rd of February in protest at state TV coverage of the popular uprising in Tahrir Square and is a longtime contributor to CNN.

Amin is a founding member of the Egyptian Women Journalists Union, a network established in 2015 that extends legal, moral and professional support to female journalists in Egypt. The NGO organizes training workshops for young and mid-career journalists (male and female) in provinces outside Cairo where training opportunities are limited and has recently produced a training manual for journalists covering population issues (family planning, gender-based violence etc.) with the support of UNFPA. She is also a board member of the International Women’s Forum, a Washington-based NGO working to promote women leadership and youth empowerment. Amin has won several international awards including the BMW’s Responsible Leaders Award 2016, The Global Thinkers Forum Excellence in Promoting Gender Equality Award 2013 and Spain’s Julio Anguita Parrado Award for Courageous Journalism 2012.