USAID launches $39mn women’s economic, social empowerment programme in Egypt

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) starts to fund Women’s Economic and Social Empowerment programme with cost of $39 million to empower women and girls in Egypt, announced in a statement on Tuesday.

USAID programme targets to provide 200,000 women with increased employment opportunities, leadership roles, access to digital financial services, health, legal, and psychological services for survivors of violence.

The programme will implemented from 2022 to 2027 in the governorates of Assiut, Beheira, Minya, Greater Cairo, Sohag, and Qena.

The programme came with collaboration of the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation, Ministry of Social Solidarity, and the National Council for Women.

“The cooperation aims to advance the Government of Egypt’s key policy priorities, including the Sustainable Development Strategy, National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, and the closing the gender gap accelerator,” according to the U.S. Embassy in Egypt statement.

The programme came aligned within the framework of the strategic economy partnership Between Egypt and the U.S. under which the Inclusive Economic Governance bilateral assistance agreement signed, International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat, said.

Empowering women considers a primary goal for the Ministry of International Cooperation to achieve multilateral and bilateral development partners, Al-Mashat added.