● Minister of International Cooperation: Women’s empowerment is a common denominator in our various strategies with development partners.
● 100 private sector companies joined the Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator to support women’s economic empowerment.
● Women are among the groups most affected by challenges regionally and internationally.
Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat participated in the opening ceremony of the 3rd Top 50 Women Forum, which was launched today under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, and organized by Top 50 Women Forum in partnership with the National Council for Women and the European Union. The event also featured employment forum activities.
Participating in the discussion session alongside Al-Mashat, were Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of the Environment; Ambassador Soha El-Gendy, Minister of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs; Dr. Neveen Al-Kilany, Minister of Culture; Dr. Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women; Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the European Union Delegation in Cairo; Deputy Chief of Mission Evyenia Sidereas Evenia Cedreas at US Embassy; and journalist Dina Abdel Fattah, founder of the Top 50 Women Forum.
In her speech during a discussion session titled “The impact of global changes on women’s lives and creating an enabling environment for them,” Al-Mashat thanked the Top 50 Women Forum for organizing this important event during Women’s Month, explaining that the Ministry of International Cooperation plays a vital role in enhancing the role of Egyptian women through international partnerships in cooperation with multilateral and bilateral development partners.
The Minister indicated that with the preparation of international partnerships, the goals of the national strategies prepared by the Egyptian state are considered a common denominator in those partnerships, and it does not overlook the important role played by civil society and the private sector in strengthening those partnerships and creating ambitious programs to empower women and create economic and social opportunities.
The Minister pointed out that women and girls are the most affected by development challenges and unstable conditions in many countries, noting that the Egyptian state is committed to integrating women as a key part of the society, and in this regard, the Ministry of International Cooperation is working to strengthen partnerships with various companies; launching programs to empower women economically and socially, by mobilizing financial resources, grants, and technical support for women entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, and emerging companies.
Al-Mashat stated that there are many women’s empowerment programs being implemented with partners, including the United States Agency for International Development, the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and other companies, stressing that empowering women is a common denominator in various strategies with development partners, both multilateral and bilateral.
The Minister spoke about the Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator, which is being implemented in cooperation with the National Council for Women and the World Economic Forum, and is considered the first platform of its kind in Africa and the Middle East and North Africa region, through which the government and private sectors participate in taking measures to bridge the economic gaps between both genders. H.E. noted that about 100 companies have joined the accelerator to begin taking realistic and practical measures to empower women in the labor market through specific goals.
In her speech, the Minister also touched on the strategic framework for the partnership with the United Nations, which includes 5 main axes, including a pillar for the empowerment of women and girls, in addition to its overlap with the first four pillars. This reflects the importance of those efforts made with development partners, national entities, and civil society organizations in order to advance the efforts undertaken by the state to provide more economic and social opportunities for women.