In the words of Mariam Naoum: “Competition is hard and continuity is harder. Don’t give up quickly.”

Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Mariam Naoum, 43, is an award-winning scriptwriter and women’s rights advocate. Her work addresses socio-economic challenges the marginalised face, with a particular focus on women’s issues. Naoum’s (Sard Workshop) latest movie “Between Two Seas” is a joint collaboration between the National Council for Women in Egypt, UN Women, and was made possible through the generous support of the Government of Japan and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).The film is directed by Anas Tolba and produced by Axeer.

The UN in Egypt supports all national efforts to end FGM in Egypt

Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2021

The United Nations in Egypt congratulates all women and girls, their families and communities on the Cabinet of Ministers’ unprecedented measures and endorsed by the Parliament of Egypt to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

“Between Two Seas” Film in Alexandria University

Date: Thursday, March 25, 2021

Cairo, 25 March 2021- Within the framework of cooperation between the National Council for Women and UN Women, and with the participation of H.E. Ambassador Noke Masaki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Arab Republic of Egypt, “Between Two Seas” film was screened at the Teaching Staff Club of Alexandria University under the auspices of Professor Abdel Aziz Qonsowa, the President of Alexandria University.

This is what leadership looks like: Meet Governor Manal Awad, working to create safer cities and public spaces for women and girls in Damietta

Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2021

In recent years, Egyptian women have held positions of leadership, but never more so than now. Currently, women make up 27% of the Parliament, 13% of the Senate and 25% of the Cabinet of Ministers. Dr. Manal Awad is one of those Egyptian women who are making their case in the leadership arena.

Women at the centre of COVID-19 response

Date: Sunday, March 21, 2021

Globally, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has magnified existing and interconnected inequalities. And COVID-19 will continue to have far-reaching impact on the hard-won gender equality gains in all countries. No country has fully achieved gender equality, with all countries grappling with gaps in women’s equal participation in economic and public life. All countries are also struggling to address the “shadow” pandemic – violence against women. In...

On the Occasion of International Women's Day: The National Council for Women, the European Union, the United Kingdomof the Netherlands, and UN Women Celebrate the Launch of a Project to Eliminate Violence Aganist Women and to Advance Women's Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment in Rural Egypt

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2021

On 8 March 2021, the world celebrated International Women’s day highlighting the theme “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. To mark this important day, the National Council for Women (NCW), the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), the European Union (EU), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and UN Women in Egypt joined forces to celebrate the tremendous efforts of women and girls in shaping a more equal future and full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the framework of a longstanding partnership, the partners launched a new project entitled ‘Women’s Empowerment and Financial and Economic Inclusion in Rural Egypt: COVID-19 Response’.

The National Council for Women, UN Women, and Flat6Labs Launch a Hackathon on “Fighting Violence against Women Using Technology”

Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Cairo, 24 February 2021 — Today marks the launch of “Fighting Violence Against Women Using Technology” Hackathon on social media platforms.  This hackathon is organized by StartEgypt powered by Flat6Labs in collaboration with the National Council for Women (NCW) and UN Women Egypt, recognising the significant role that entrepreneurship plays in providing innovative solutions to address societal issues. The hackathon challenge...

From where I stand: “I hope that no woman or girl will ever hesitate to learn a new skill because the experience could change their lives, the way it changed mine”

Date: Thursday, February 18, 2021

Mayada Mohamed ElShalaby, 36-year-old is a Syrian refugee living in Cairo with her family. Mayada is a former Amigurumi trainee and one of the current Amigurumi artists and trainers at “Vandi”, which is a social enterprise that UN Women Egypt collaborates with to provide skills training and employment opportunities for refugee and Egyptian women. ElShalaby talks to us about her professional journey and her personal ambitions. ElShalaby (in the middle) inside Vandi’s...

From where I stand: “We must overcome any fear and we must move forward.”

Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Malak Adam* is a 36-year-old Sudanese woman who sought refuge in Cairo after experiencing maltreatment in her country of origin. Although Malak is a trained accountant, she had no option but to work informally in Cairo.

As more families report FGM incidents in Egypt, advocacy intensifies, and a new bill seeks to increase penalties

Date: Saturday, February 6, 2021

A rise in the number of reported cases of FGM in Egypt is seen as a promising sign that the country’s efforts to raise awareness is starting to work.

In the words of Fatma Saad: “Never let a mental or physical scar stop you from healing and growing; your scars should be a reminder of your strength, not your trauma”

Date: Monday, December 14, 2020

Fatma Saad is a 33-year-old project coordinator at the Al Shehab Foundation for Community Development in Cairo. She was one of 24 participants in a training programme in Applied Drama for Community Health and Empowerment, which falls under UN Women’s Ending Violence Against Women programme and is generously supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Saad shares her reflections on the training programme and the positive impact it has had on her personal and professional perspectives.

The Launch of an Awareness-raising Video on the Role of Companies and Businessowners in providing Safe Workplaces for Women within the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Cairo, 9 December 2020 - The National Council for Women, in partnership with the Ministry of Manpower, the Federation of Egyptian Industries, UN Women, and the International Labour Organization, and in cooperation with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will launch an awareness raising video on the role of business owners and companies in providing safe workplaces for women which would result in an increase in women’s participation in the labor force.

The National Council for Women and UN Women Egypt Launch a Series of Public Screenings for the Film “Between Two Seas” in several Governorates across Egypt

Date: Sunday, November 29, 2020

Cairo, November 29, 2020 - Within the framework of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the National Council for Women (NCW), in partnership with UN Women Egypt, launch a series of public screenings for the film “Between Two Seas” in a number of governorates across Egypt, with the aim of raising the awareness of women and men about the various issues that the film tackles such as violence against women and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

The National Council for Women and UN Women Egypt Light up the Great Pyramids of Giza in Orange to kick off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence

Date: Thursday, November 26, 2020

Cairo, 26 November 2020 - The National Council for Women (NCW), in partnership with UN Women Egypt Country Office, lit up in orange the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx on the 25th November, joining the global community in launching the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

From where I stand: “If I know how to respect my wife, then my daughters will know how to respect me too”

Date: Sunday, November 22, 2020

Maged Fawzy is a husband and a father of two daughters, aged 9 and 14. Fawzy is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WellSpring, a social enterprise established in 2009 with the mission of supporting local communities through participatory activities that focus on strengthening family bonds.

Hand over the Mic to: Aida Nour ElDin, Egypt

Date: Monday, November 16, 2020

Aida Nour ElDin is the Chairperson of the Women and Development Association (WDA), a grassroots civil society organization that specializes in providing various services to survivors of violence and raising community awareness in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Egypt. Aida Nour ElDin speaks to a group. Photo courtesy of Women and...

In the words of Dalia Ramadan: “The training programme not only taught us how to use arts in our work, but also how to better connect with the women we serve”

Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Dalia Ramadan, 36, is a project manager at the Al Shehab Foundation for Community Development in Cairo, who specializes in providing legal and psychosocial support to women survivors of violence. The initiative falls within UN Women’s Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW) programme, which is generously supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In a conversation with UN Women, Ramadan shared how the training programme has enhanced her capacity to communicate with communities and women survivors of violence.

From where I stand: “It makes me happy to have a two-way constructive dialogue with the children and the women that I work with”

Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Silvana Samy is a 27-year-old lawyer, string artist and a workshop facilitator from the Upper Egyptian governorate of Beni Suef. Samy was one of 24 civil society employees and volunteers, who completed the training programme in Applied Drama for Community Health and Empowerment, which ran from August 2019 until March 2020, and was facilitated by Dawar for Arts and Development.

In the words of Malak Abdelshafi: “Nothing can stop us because we’re girls.”

Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020

Malak Abdelshafi is a 17-year-old Egyptian Paralympic swimming champion who qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. When she was 10 months old, she suffered severe spinal cord injuries from an accident that left her partially paralysed. After the accident, part of her treatment was hydrotherapy, because of which she came to love swimming. In 2014, Abdelshafi joined Egypt’s national team. Abdelshafi has since won 39 national and 6 international medals. In line with its efforts to support...

From where I stand: “I will prove to everyone and to myself that I will not just handle the job; I will excel”

Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Menna Ramadan, 18, is a third-year student at El-Wardian Industrial School for Girls in Alexandria and one of the 150 future electricians and 40 teachers who are benefiting from the Technical and Vocational Education and Training for Girls Initiative being implemented by the Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement (IECD). UN Women supports the initiative under its joint programme with the International Labour Organization (ILO), entitled “Promoting Productive Employment and Decent Work for Women in Egypt, Jordan and Palestine” that is generously funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).