Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity has reaffirmed its commitment to women’s economic empowerment through the expansion of care economy initiatives, highlighting the Female Breadwinner Project, which has been entrusted to the Egyptian Association for Child Protection (est. 1996).
According to the ministry, the project provides ready-made and semi-prepared meals, as well as the preparation and preservation of vegetables, benefiting 22,509 women and men to date. The initiative targets female breadwinners in particular, helping them secure stable livelihoods while balancing family responsibilities.
Care Economy at the Heart of Women’s Empowerment Strategy
The Ministry of Social Solidarity emphasized that it is placing growing importance on the care economy as a central pillar of women’s economic empowerment. This approach focuses on creating new job opportunities in care-related sectors, while enabling women to better balance productive work with their social and family roles.
Under this framework, the care economy is defined as an integrated economic system that delivers social, health, and educational care services to citizens across different stages of life. The ministry noted that strengthening this sector improves overall quality of life and reduces the economic and social burdens placed on families.
Officials stressed that investment in the care economy is a key driver of inclusive and sustainable growth. It plays a direct role in enhancing women’s economic participation, improving labor market efficiency, and advancing gender equality—core objectives aligned with Egypt Vision 2030 and relevant United Nations development strategies.
Working Women Service Centers: A Flagship National Project
Among the ministry’s most prominent initiatives in this field is the Working Women Service Centers Project, one of Egypt’s longest-running care economy programs. Launched in 1982 as part of the ministry’s national investment plan, the project operates as a network of productive and service-oriented centers designed to ease the multiple burdens faced by working women.
These centers aim to help women reconcile professional duties with family responsibilities, while also creating employment opportunities for household members and supporting family income growth. Importantly, the project is non-profit in nature, offering services at affordable prices as a national public service for working women.
Integrated Services Tailored to Women’s Needs
Each Working Women Service Center delivers a comprehensive package of services through specialized units, including:
- Ready Meals Unit: Prepares, processes, and packages affordable cooked and semi-cooked meals and food products for immediate use or quick preparation.
- Garment and Handicrafts Unit: Produces ready-made clothing and home textiles for women and their families at reasonable prices.
- Laundry and Ironing Unit: Provides automated washing, ironing, and carpet-cleaning services using modern electrical equipment at modest fees.
- Home Assistants Unit: Supplies trained female workers to assist with house cleaning, childcare, and elderly care, supporting working women within their homes for fair wages.
Nationwide Reach and Economic Impact
The ministry also highlighted the economic and social impact of its services through 35 “Egyptian Home” units operating across 20 governorates, in addition to an outlet in the New Administrative Capital. These units deliver economic and marketing services that have benefited more than 214,596 individuals, as well as several public and private institutions.
Total sales generated through these outlets have exceeded 5.2 million Egyptian pounds, reflecting both strong demand and the effectiveness of the care economy model in combining social protection with economic sustainability.
Toward Inclusive and Sustainable Development
Through projects such as the Female Breadwinner Program and the Working Women Service Centers, Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity is positioning the care economy as a cornerstone of national development policy—one that supports women, strengthens families, and contributes to broader social and economic resilience.
As Egypt advances toward its 2030 development goals, officials say scaling up such initiatives will remain essential to building a more inclusive economy where women play a central and empowered role.
