Stories
- Ending violence against women and girls (30)
- Gender equality and women’s empowerment (21)
- Economic empowerment (18)
- Communications and media (14)
- COVID-19 (5)
- Gender, culture and society (5)
- Education (4)
- Health (4)
- 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (4)
- Human rights (3)
- Leadership and political participation (3)
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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).
Dads in quarantine: An opportunity for change
Friday, August 7, 2020
Unable to leave home during the COVID-19 lockdown, Egyptian families have been spending more time than ever inside, and together. Despite the many challenges of enforced isolation, this has in many cases deepened bonds and led to a reflection on the existing burden of unpaid domestic work that women perform – and at least some tentative redistributions. Between 4 to 14 April, the National Council for Women (NCW),– this year celebrating its 20th anniversary, Baseera & UN Women –conducted a rapid assessment survey of 1,500 women on COVID-19, including its impact on domestic violence & unpaid care work.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Ahmed Mamdouh El Sheikh, a 38-year-old banker, is a father and husband who realized the impact of sharing household responsibilities with his wife during the coronavirus crisis. El Sheikh talked to UN Women about the positive impact of the crisis on his relationship with his family. UN Women Egypt works in partnership with the National Council for Women, civil society organizations, and the private sector to promote men’s engagement in the public and private spheres through its “Men and Women for Gender Equality” programme, which is funded by the Swedish Agency for International Development.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Hayah Mohamed is a 38-year-old Yemeni woman living in Cairo with her husband, their daughter and three sons. She had to stay in Cairo longer than expected and faced economic challenges after she stopped receiving remittances from Yemen due to the ongoing conflict. To support her family, Mohamed joined a sewing course at AlMashgel, a production unit supported by UN Women Egypt...
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Amal Ahmed* – a wife and mother of an 11-year-old girl and three boys aged 15, 18 and 19 – lives in Dar El-Salam in Cairo governorate. When she herself was 10 years old, Ahmed’s life was turned upside down, after she and her sister were tricked by their family into undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM) at the hands of a doctor at home.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Egypt is witnessing incredible social momentum in support of survivors of gender-based violence, including sexual assault and harassment. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in Egypt applauds the courage of the many women who have experienced violence and have spoken out and welcomes the strong national response, led by the National Council for Women (NCW), in support of survivors of violence against women to ensure accountability of perpetrators.
From where I stand: “The most important skill to learn is how to be at peace with yourself.”
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Etemad Al Sururi is a Yemeni refugee who came to Egypt a year ago after witnessing the horrors of the war in her home country. After settling down in Egypt with her sister-in law, Etemad and her husband struggled to find jobs, despite their studies and work experience. Therefore, she decided to take a different road and learn new skills. She enrolled in UN Women’s vocational training course in October 2019, where she learned bakery and cake decorating – a first step to her new life....
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Qesma Ismail is a Psychosocial Case Worker at Saint Andrew's Refugee Services helping women refugees who have experienced traumatic events throughout their life. She provides psychological support to the women she meets through group therapy and individual counselling.
From where I stand: “Never let fear stop you… feel it and do it”
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Abir Leheta is a wife and mother of two girls, aged 14 and 19. At the age of 42, Leheta was appointed as the Chair and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Egytrans, originally a family-owned company that grew considerably, got listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange, and is now considered one of the leading companies in Egypt in the male-dominated industry of transport and logistics.
From where I stand: “I printed a 3-D face shield to protect my sister from the coronavirus”
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Randa Atef is a 26-year-old electrical engineer from El-Mahalla El-Kubra, Gharbia Governorate. Atef is cofounder of the Robot Academy, a skills-development centre that organizes robotics and electronics educational activities for the children of El-Mahalla. Her passion for innovation and her drive to protect her sister, a dentist, from the coronavirus inspired Atef to use a locally manufactured 3-D printer to make her face shields. Given the rising local demand for such personal protective...
Monday, June 22, 2020
With ongoing conflict and war around the world, people are on the move, migrating to escape danger and poverty and seeking better living conditions. Currently, Egypt hosts more than 252,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers – and nearly half are girls and women (UNHCR, 2019). To establish long-term solutions, UN Women is working with refugee women and girls in Egypt to protect their rights, create employment opportunities and provide social support. We spent a day with women in different classes and many women were eager to share their stories and tell us how the training has made an impact on their lives.
Restoring the role of fathers within the family
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Traditional gender roles have for a long time segregated the roles of parents at home – with mothers usually fully responsible for raising children while fathers act mainly as providers, with little involvement in child-raising. With an aim to promote more active roles for fathers within their families – including their fundamental influence on children – UN Women Egypt in partnership with the National Council for Women organized a “Father and Child” camp to raise awareness of fathers on their essential role and strengthen their bond with their children.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Amr Mohey El-Din Abdelrahman chairs the Board of Directors of the community-based organization (CBO) El-Shabab Association for Developing Community, working in Akhmin, Qalyubia governorate. The CBO was one of six CBOs that received small grants under UN Women Egypt’s “Men and Women for Gender Equality (MWGE)” programme, to implement...
Monday, June 15, 2020
On the occasion of the National Day to Eradicate FGM, the United Nations in Egypt joins the Government of Egypt in honoring the memory of all victims of this inhumane crime, while condemning the most recent incident of the father who deceived and forced his three daughters to undergo FGM at the hands of a doctor, risking their lives and potentially causing long lasting physical and psychological implications.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
During crisis, we face a lot of pressure, that’s why our mental health should be a priority. “Our Mental Health is a Priority” is an initiative by The National Council for Women in collaboration with UN Women that aims at supporting women’s mental health and raising awareness about mental health in general, especially during crisis.
Market vendors access wholesalers, boosting incomes in a more spacious and hygienic market
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
When you step into the newly renovated Zenien Market in the centre of the Giza Governorate, you’ll find neatly arranged clothes and stalls brimming with a colourful assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables. The market’s physical structure and product display are decidedly different from other markets in the area, which are crowded and randomly organized with narrow pathways. Prior to its renovation, Zenien used to be dingy, lacking in safety and barely...
Youth volunteers combat the COVID-19 epidemic of misinformation in the Arab States
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, emerging evidence shows that underlying gender inequalities are exacerbated by this crisis. As observed in previous pandemics, women are -and will be- disproportionately affected in myriad ways, including by an increased incidence of domestic violence, loss of jobs and increased unpaid care burden. Previous experiences also indicate that failing to collect gender-disaggregated data can have a negative impact in the effectiveness of the response and recovery efforts.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic affects everyone, everywhere. But it affects different groups of people differently, deepening existing inequalities. Today we are launching a report that shows how COVID-19 could reverse the limited progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s rights – and recommends ways to put women’s leadership and contributions at the heart of resilience and recovery.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
At the beginning of this week, the United Nations Secretary-General issued an appeal to stop violence everywhere including violence in the home. As Directors of the four United Nations Agencies who have been working together to highlight the importance of Gender Justice and Equality before the law1 as a clear path towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we call upon states in the Arab states region to respond to the Secretary-General’s appeal.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
UN Women commends the National Council for Women for its efforts to ensure that a gender perspective is adopted in Egypt’s COVID-19 response plan and will continue to support national efforts to carry out additional measures in line with its responsibilities, which include advancing women’s rights during such difficult times.