In a high-level gathering convened in Cairo, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, led a strategic dialogue with over 40 representatives from United Nations agencies, international financial institutions, and bilateral and multilateral development partners. The meeting focused on advancing the outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), with gender equity emerging as a core pillar in Egypt’s development financing vision.
Co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and the European Union delegation in Egypt, the forum explored implementation pathways for the Seville Commitment—the landmark agreement adopted at FFD4 to reform the global financial architecture and mobilize sustainable resources for development. Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized that one of the most pressing imperatives of the post-Seville era is the integration of gender equality across all pillars of financing frameworks, especially in the Global South.
“Our national financing strategy is aligned not only with the Sustainable Development Goals, but also with a clear commitment to close gender gaps,” Al-Mashat said. “Financing development without addressing systemic gender disparities is neither inclusive nor sustainable.”
Egypt’s Integrated National Strategy for Development Financing, presented during the meeting, prioritizes gender-responsive budgeting, women-led entrepreneurship, and expanding access to health, education, and financial services for women and girls. The strategy was showcased as a model for aligning economic reforms and public investments with gender-transformative outcomes, with cross-sectoral focus on healthcare, education, environmental sustainability, and public infrastructure.
The Cairo meeting also spotlighted initiatives launched in Seville that directly impact gender equity, including:
- Debt Sustainability: Al-Mashat underscored the urgent need to modernize Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) methodologies to ensure a fairer and more accurate assessment of developing countries’ repayment capacity. A reformed DSA, she argued, would enable better planning and reduce the risk of systemic financial instability.
- Debt-for-Gender Programs: Egypt expressed interest in applying debt swap mechanisms—like those proposed by the World Bank and Spain—to fund women-focused development programs, especially in rural and underserved areas.
- Inclusive Climate Financing: Egypt’s “NWFE” (Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy) platform was an example of a climate investment model with built-in gender equity indicators, ensuring that women benefit equitably from green jobs, training, and access to clean energy.
- Gender and Global Public Goods: Al-Mashat emphasized the need to frame gender equity as a global public good, central to achieving broader aims in climate adaptation, food security, and digital transformation.
Participants echoed this focus. UNICEF highlighted Egypt’s “Shabab Balad” initiative as a strong example of gender-sensitive youth programming that bridges education and employment. UN Women and the World Food Programme stressed the urgency of embedding gender impact metrics in all financing flows, from concessional lending to climate bonds.
Spain, which hosted FFD4, praised Egypt’s role in integrating gender into global discussions on sustainable finance, noting that the Seville Commitment includes explicit references to empowering women and girls through national and international financing instruments. The country reaffirmed its cooperation with Egypt to implement gender-inclusive policies through joint initiatives with the UNDP.
In a related announcement, Al-Mashat confirmed that Egypt would host the inaugural meetings of two FFD4-endorsed platforms—the Borrowers’ Forum and the Shared Information Hub—with a gender-inclusive lens guiding their design and governance. These platforms aim to increase the influence of developing countries in global financial rule-making and improve transparency in development cooperation.
The World Bank, UNDP, and other agencies reiterated support for Egypt’s national priorities, particularly its efforts to embed gender equity into economic transformation through expanded private sector engagement, labor market access, and social protection.
