Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, stated that one of the key goals of the Ministry's partnerships and programmes is the economic and social empowerment of women. The Ministry's portfolio currently includes 117 projects in collaboration with 35 development partners, benefiting 27 entities across sectors like agriculture, health, social protection, education, small projects, industry, etc., with a focus on women's empowerment. Al-Mashat shared these insights during the advisory committee meeting of the Economic and Social Empowerment of Women Programme. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministries of International Cooperation and Social Solidarity, the National Council for Women, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The programme's objectives are to enhance the working environment for women in private sector companies, broaden the financial inclusion of female workers, and mitigate the impacts of violence against women. It is operational from 2022 to 2027 in the governorates of Assiut, Behira, Minya, Greater Cairo (Giza), Sohag, and Qena. The advisory committee comprises Al-Mashat; Nevine El-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity; Maya Morsi, President of the National Council for Women; Ki Lam, Deputy Director at USAID's Governance Office; Mai Aboul-Naga, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank; Dina Kafafi, Director of the Economic and Social Empowerment of Women programme; Mohamed Farid, Chairperson of the Financial Regulatory Authority; among others. Al-Mashat highlighted that the programme is integral to the Ministry's efforts to support women's empowerment as part of Egypt's international partnerships. Launched in June 2022, it seeks to promote gender equality, enhance women's technical skills, create job opportunities, and educate on financial management and inclusion. The programme aligns with the National Women's Empowerment Strategy 2030 and is under the Closing Gender Gap Accelerator, which aims to bolster women's empowerment and gender equality efforts in Egypt, in collaboration with the National Council for Women. Key achievements of the programme include partnerships with 31 private sector companies, adoption of gender equality policies, training of 48 participants as certified auditors for the Gender Equality Seal, and organization of training workshops for human resource management. Additionally, the programme has partnered with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to implement the Sustainable Competitive Enterprise and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) programme, enhancing business development and competitiveness with a focus on women's empowerment. The programme has also made strides in increasing women's financial inclusion, providing training to 1,800 women and 300 financial facilitators through the "Tahweesha" programme, aiming for the financial integration of women in rural Egyptian villages as part of the National Project for the Development of the Egyptian Family.
