The government is studying adding the names of mothers to national ID cards to help thwart name duplication.
The announcement by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli made during the weekly cabinet press conference last week stirred heated public debate on social media platforms. Opinions were divided between those who believe the step is unnecessary since the data of citizens is already stored in the barcode printed on the ID card and others who thought the idea potentially helpful in facilitating verification and authentication.
Madbouli confirmed that a mother’s name is already included on the national ID card through the barcode on the back of the card. “As for writing the name explicitly on the card like that of the father, it will be taken into consideration, and we will explore the possibility of implementing it with the relevant authorities,” Madbouli said.
MP Salma Murad submitted an official proposal to the prime minister and the ministers of justice and interior to add a mother’s name to the national ID card. Murad noted that name duplication causes numerous problems for citizens, including legal complications due to identical names, as often seen in cases related to social insurance or the enforcement of judicial rulings.
Murad told Al-Ahram Weekly that studies have shown that including the mother’s name in social insurance data helps reduce duplication. France has conducted several research studies confirming the effectiveness of the approach, she pointed out, adding that name similarities can lead to other issues such as the wrongful arrest of individuals or travel bans due to mistaken identity with individuals wanted on criminal charges.
According to an employee at the Civil Status Authority who preferred to remain anonymous, the mother’s name is already registered in the data included on the barcode placed on the ID, so there is no need to write it. “Any problem like name duplication will end as soon as the ID is scanned by the authorities concerned and the mother’s name is verified,” he added.
Abeer Hamdi, a school teacher, supported the idea, calling for its swift approval and implementation. “This should have happened a long time ago. If I am with my children somewhere, how can I not have something that proves they’re my children if the need arises?”
Lawyer Mahmoud Abul-Naga said he believed adding the mother’s name on the ID card will not eliminate the issue of name duplication. “Adding the mother’s name to the national ID card will not add any new information about the person as it is already there in the ID’s barcode. It will just facilitate the process but will not help in solving the problem,” Abul-Naga said, suggesting including a phone number or email instead.
Disclosing a mother’s name is not common practice in Egypt. Men in particular prefer not to mention their mother’s name in public, concerned that it becomes a subject of shame or ridicule. In 2015, UN Women launched an initiative called “Give Mom Back Her Name” to eradicate the taboo and give mothers in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East their names back in public fora.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 17 April, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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