The residence of the Mexican Ambassador in Cairo hosted a ceremony honoring the pioneers of change for the year 2023, which was organized by the embassies of Canada, Mexico, and Sweden to celebrate Egyptian Women’s Day for the third year in a row.
The achievements of inspiring Egyptian women were celebrated at all levels, including social, political, economic, and cultural. And the call of the governments of the three countries for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all forums.
The Champions of Change awards were established in recognition of the contributions of Egyptian pioneers of gender equality and their efforts in building a stronger Egypt. The awards ceremony coincides with the celebration of International Women’s Day.
Dr. Nihal Balbaa, Deputy Governor of Behaira, was honored for her efforts in supporting the empowerment of women in the governorate and as a major partner in the development programs supported by the Embassy of Canada in the governorate.
The Champions of Change awards comes as an appreciation for the achievements of Egyptian women’s leadership in various fields.
In 2023, eight inspiring women were honored: Dr. Nuria Sanz – Regional Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Sciences in the Arab States, and Dr. Hana Abu Al-Ghar, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and one of the founders of the Banati Foundation for Homeless Girls, which provides support, health care, education, and psychological and social rehabilitation for homeless girls, and Hala Barakat, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the School of Business at the American University in Cairo, for its support for women of all ages and social groups Including people with special needs, who played an important role in economic development in Egypt, and Dr. Karma Mohamed Sami – Director of the National Center for Translation for her contributions to enriching the cultural space and activating the role of translation in the dialogue between cultures, and d. Heba Handousa, Founder and Executive Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Integrated Development “Nedaa”.
Canadian Ambassador to Egypt Louis Dumas said that Canada’s international feminist assistance policy is to direct the country’s efforts to promote gender equality around the world. In 2021-22, Canada has allocated 99% of its international development assistance to initiatives that target or integrate gender equality and Women and girls’ empowerment.
This included addressing gender discrimination and providing access to reproductive health services to ensure that women and girls can exercise their right to make decisions about family planning and their own health.
