The National Council for Women organized an interactive workshop to prepare preachers and religious leaders to address population and health issues in community awareness seminars for family development within the National Project for Egyptian Family Development.
The workshop took place in the presence of Isis Hafez, head of the Council’s Central Administration for Training and Development; Dr. Magdy Khaled, a reproductive health expert and former director of the United Nations Fund; Dr. Jaber Taye, former head of the religious sector at the Ministry of Endowments; Dr. Hassan Khalil at the Islamic Research Academy; Dr. Atef Al-Shaitani, former head of the family planning sector at the Ministry of Health; and Dr. Ahmed Rajai, population expert, Islamic Research Center for Health and Population. The workshop continued over three days.
Isis Hafez confirmed that the workshop aimed to train a group of trainers, including preachers and religious leaders who had previously received training at the council, to spread awareness of the population issue among citizens in the governorates covered by the Decent Life Initiative. She also reviewed the council’s efforts in implementing the roundabout sessions launched by the council in the governorates of the Presidential Initiative, Hayat Karima, explaining that over the past two years, it had targeted more than 8 million individuals through 4,400 religious leaders.
On his part, Dr. Magdy Khaled pointed out that the workshop addressed several important issues that negatively affect community development, such as uncontrolled population increase, early marriage, and female circumcision.
The workshop also focused on advocating for the community to benefit from reproductive health services provided by the state in health centers and units for all citizens, aiming to improve the health of Egyptian women and families.
It was implemented by a group of the most qualified Egyptian trainers and experts, and the council will follow up with the trainees in the various governorates to ensure that the expertise is disseminated to other groups of local leaders and its impact on spreading community awareness and improving women’s reproductive health.
It is noteworthy that the workshop included discussing the use of effective communication to prepare and present effective health messages, violence against women and the negative effects resulting from that, introducing safe motherhood, pregnancy, and childbirth care, breastfeeding, the program for those about to get married, the importance of spacing between births and family planning, and preparing to present mini-awareness sessions and how to implement them through Trainers and participants.
