CAIRO — Women flocked to a mosque in southern Cairo May 21 to receive fatwas (religious rulings) on private female issues from a female preacher who is present at the mosque on Saturdays between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Nevine Mokhtar is one of four female preachers recently authorized by the government to issue fatwas on women’s affairs.

On May 21, the Ministry of Awqaf (Religious Endowments) launched the first four women fatwa councils — at four different mosques in Cairo — to provide fatwas for women. The ministry plans to launch more councils in different Egyptian governorates. 

Before being allowed to take on this role, Mokhtar and her colleagues received specialized training. The four women were among 144 female preachers appointed by the Ministry of Awqaf in 2017. Since then, the ministry has been preparing the female preachers to issue fatwas through organizing intensive courses. Mokhtar and her colleagues were chosen to issue fatwas as they were the top achievers of a test that included knowledge of the Quran, sunna (verbally transmitted accounts of the Prophet's deeds and sayings) and Islamic jurisprudence.