Sahar El Hawari

Sahar El Hawari (; born 19 November 1958) is a former member of the Parliament of Egypt and a promoter of Women's football in Egypt. Sahar El Hawari became the first female member of the Egyptian Football Association, the first women's referee from North Africa, and a member of FIFA.

Early life El Hawari grew up fascinated about football. Her father, Ezzat El Hawari, was a former football player and international football referee. There was no women's football in the 1980s when she was in school. However, her father supported her, and told her it was not possible, but it was also not impossible, because he believed in her capabilities.

Women's football In 1993, after her father's death, El Hawari created her own football team. Many Egyptians felt that the game should only be played by men and were shocked by the idea of women wearing shorts in public. She has also seen success training referees. In May 2012, the number of female referees in Egypt reached 42, more than any other country in Africa.

Fraud charges In 2016, the High Administrative Court of Egypt ordered that the Egyptian Football Association board be dissolved, as the results of the 2012 board elections were invalid due to allegations of rigging. The lawsuit was filed in 2013 by Hermas Radwan, challenging the integrity of the voting process. The judgement was final and not open to appeal. Elections were held again in September 2016.

The Egyptian Football Association was once again dissolved by the High Administrative Court in 2017, due to the illegal nomination of board members Hazem El Hawari and Sahar El Hawari.

El Hawari was a member of the Parliament of Egypt. In 2017, El Hawari received a five-year sentence on charges of fraudulent bankruptcy. Her membership in Parliament was subsequently dropped, as her indictment was at odds with Parliament's code of morals and internal regulations. El Hawari's departure affected the Egypt national women's football team, as training time and resource allocation were reduced.