Egypt: Female Journalist Reports while Carrying Son; Twitterati Labels her 'Ideal Mother', 'Unprofessional'

A female journalist made headlines in Egypt after she was seen reporting for a news channel while carrying her son in her arms. 

Lamia Hamdin, a reporter with news channel ON TV, carried her two-year-old son while conducting interviews on a street in Cairo. This sparked a debate in the country, with some Twitterati praising her as an "ideal mother" and some calling her "unprofessional". 

Hamdin said she had to pick up her son from a daycare as he had fallen sick and there was no one to take care of him as her husband works abroad, according to local media reports. 

"My son was sick and I had to work later than expected so I went and got him from the nursery. I could not leave him anywhere else," Hamdin told the media. "Would people have me leave him out on the street?"

She also said that she was not seen on camera while doing the interviews. 

Photos of Hamdin reporting with her son was shared on social media in Egypt, and divided netizens. A barrage of misogynistic comments also prompted college student Mohamed Abdel Nasser, who was the first to upload the photo, to take down the post, according to BuzzFeed.

While some criticised her, other netizens compared her to Italian politician Licia Ronzulli, who had famously brought her child to work on several occasions. 

Several Twitter users praised Hamdin for attempting to balance her professional life and motherhood, and she was also backed by her own news channel which said she should be held in "high regard", according to Al Arabiya, which cited Egyptian news reports.