Egypt reviews economic empowerment efforts with GLAM group

Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy on Thursday highlighted the ministry’s efforts to promote economic empowerment through effective partnerships and the development of a comprehensive system for micro and small-scale lending

Morsy met with a group of foreign ambassadors to Egypt, known as the GLAM group, to discuss strengthening cooperation across various areas, according to a statement published by the Cabinet on Thursday.

The meeting, held at the ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, included ambassadors from 13 countries and focused on social protection, economic empowerment, and women’s rights.

The minister also discussed services provided to the elderly, people with disabilities, and women’s empowerment initiatives, which have seen significant progress in recent years due to strong political will.

She emphasised that social protection programmes are a top priority for the ministry, particularly initiatives targeting the most vulnerable groups, such as the conditional cash transfer programme Takaful and Karama.

This programme supports 4.7 million families, benefiting 22 million citizens, with an annual budget of 41 billion Egyptian pounds. It includes educational and health conditions and focuses on economic empowerment to help families escape poverty.

The minister also noted the unprecedented support for civil society, with external grants for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) reaching 14.5 billion pounds in 2024, the statement added.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English

Subediting: M. S. Salama