With a portfolio of MAECI/AICS funding amounting to approximately €10.4 million, the Italian Development Cooperation in Egypt supports initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, adopting a rights-based, inclusive and transformative approach, with a special focus on the most vulnerable and marginalised groups.
The initiatives focus on the following priority areas:
- Prevention of and response to gender-based violence, by strengthening specialised services providing protection, support and care for survivors and by promoting safe and inclusive environments;
- Promotion of sexual and reproductive health and family planning, by improving access to high-quality services, strengthening institutional capacities and disseminating accurate and accessible information to women, adolescents and young people;
- Economic and social empowerment of women and girls, through skills development, access to economic and employment opportunities, and active participation in social and economic life.
The “Enhancing the Role of Women” initiative, implemented by UN Women with funding of €1 million, aims to directly strengthen the socio-economic empowerment of women in the rural areas of Upper Egypt. The initiative combines improving access to civil rights – such as the issuing of identity documents – with strengthening the health services and systems for preventing and responding to gender-based violence. Furthermore, the project supports women’s entrepreneurship and income generation, promoting local productive value chains in the traditional handicrafts and organic farming sectors.
Activities include technical, financial and marketing training; the developing of entrepreneurial skills; facilitating access to markets and credit; and engaging the private sector in the promotion of inclusive practices, including through the adoption of the Women’s Empowerment Principles.
The UNFPA programme, with a budget of €4 million, has made a structural contribution to strengthening the gender-based violence prevention and response system. The programme strengthens the provision of multisectoral services for survivors, including basic health services and referrals, as well as psychosocial, legal and protection services, also through the creation and improvement of safe spaces and specialised reception and care facilities.
The initiative also improves referral mechanisms at community level and promotes the active involvement of men, boys and religious leaders in the processes aimed at transforming discriminatory social norms and harmful practices.
At national level, the programme supports the strengthening of the regulatory framework and public policies on gender-based violence, promoting inter-institutional coordination and alignment amongst the various actors within the protection system. At the same time, it helps empower adolescent girls and young women through structured programmes such as NOURA and the Girls Assets Framework, which are designed to strengthen their skills, agency and capacity for self-determination.
Particular attention is paid to the most vulnerable groups, including women and girls with disabilities, refugees or migrants, through strategic partnerships with national civil society organisations, in a perspective of inclusion, non-discrimination and leaving no one behind.
The KHADRA project, implemented directly by AICS Cairo with funding of €800,000, aims to strengthen the economic and social empowerment of women in the Siwa Oasis through vocational and entrepreneurial training programmes, financial inclusion, the development of marketing and sales opportunities, and by facilitating access to credit to support productive activities. The initiative also includes measures aimed at improving maternal‑and child health, by promoting access to high-quality healthcare services and awareness-raising activities.
AICS is overseeing the project funded by the head office entitled “Inclusive empowerment for women, girls and boys in Upper Egypt”, with a budget of €1.6 million, implemented by Save the Children International in the Assiut Governorate. The initiative aims to strengthen the economic and social inclusion of women and young people in situations of socio-economic vulnerability, including persons with disabilities, by improving access to vocational training, livelihood opportunities and financial services.
Another initiative is due to be launched soon. It is entitled “A Holistic Approach to Population Growth: Improving the Quality of Life of the Population & Strengthening Reproductive Health Information & Service Delivery Channels, and it has been entrusted to UNFPA. The initiative aims to improve access to reproductive health services and promote the dissemination of accurate and accessible information to women, adolescents and young people, so that they can make informed choices about their well-being and their future. The project forms part of the new National Programme for Family Development and will help strengthen institutional capacities and the quality of services, promoting a more inclusive and effective approach to reproductive health and family planning.