In a high-level meeting held in Cairo, Counselor Amal Ammar, President of Egypt’s National Council for Women (NCW), welcomed Dr. Sima Bahous, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, to discuss strengthening collaboration and advancing shared goals in women’s empowerment across political, economic, and social spheres.
The meeting was attended by senior representatives from both sides, including Dr. Nesreen El-Boghdady, NCW Vice President; Moaz Duraid, UN Women’s Regional Director for Arab States; Mohamed El Nasry, UN Women’s Chief of Staff; Marwa Alam El-Din, Acting Country Representative in Egypt; and Rana Karim, Director of Women’s Empowerment Programs.
A Model for International Cooperation
Amal Ammar praised UN Women for its global leadership in advocating gender equality and highlighted the longstanding and productive partnership between the NCW and the UN body. She pointed to successful collaborative initiatives such as “Tahwisha,” “Tamkeen,” “Safe Cities for Women,” “Rabeha,” “Peacebuilder Women,” and the Women’s Complaint Office Capacity Building Program as key examples of impactful joint efforts.
“These projects have contributed significantly to real progress in political representation, economic participation, and protection from violence,” Ammar stated. “Our partnership is a leading model of international cooperation that is achieving tangible results.”
Unprecedented Achievements Under Presidential Support
Ammar also emphasized that Egypt, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, has made historic strides in women’s empowerment—not just through policy but also through practical programs that have transformed the lives of Egyptian women and their families. She reaffirmed Egypt’s full commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, noting that inclusive development is vital to long-term national progress.
UN Commends Egypt’s Leadership
For her part, Dr. Sima Bahous expressed her admiration for Egypt’s strong political will in advancing women’s rights, describing the country as a regional leader in both gender justice and peacebuilding efforts. She commended the NCW’s impactful work, particularly its influence on public policy and its role in building inclusive development strategies.
Dr. Bahous also emphasized the importance of continued cooperation between UN Women’s country and regional offices and the NCW, particularly in areas related to empowerment, sustainability, and economic inclusion. She expressed eagerness to expand joint projects that further advance the role of women in Egypt and the wider region.
Egyptian Women 2030: A Vision in Action
The meeting also served as an opportunity to review Egypt’s National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, particularly within the framework of the National Family Development Project. The NCW showcased programs supporting women’s entrepreneurship, economic literacy (such as “Tahwisha”), and urban safety for women, in addition to large-scale grassroots campaigns like “Knocking on Doors,” which reach underserved communities across the country.
These programs, rooted in community engagement and data-driven approaches, aim to close gender gaps, build women’s skills, and increase their economic resilience.
