Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, participated in the second annual regional conference on Energy for Women in the Middle East and North Africa, organized by the World Bank in Jordan.
She joined the conference alongside the Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, and the Bank’s resident representative in Jordan, Holly Penner. The conference aimed to exchange knowledge and practical experiences on women’s economic participation and leadership in the energy sector.
The main objectives included:
- Presenting the progress made by the Regional Network (RENEW) partners in the MENA region.
- Discussing achievements.
- Strengthening the regional commitment to sustainable work.
- Enhancing cooperation and partnerships within the network.
- Exchanging global and regional experiences towards a more gender-diverse workforce in the MENA region.
The Minister of International Cooperation delivered a speech via video, emphasizing the central role of women in achieving sustainable development goals at national and regional levels. She highlighted that women are disproportionately affected by climate change and that the gap in economic participation and wages between genders, particularly in green jobs, is widening.
The Minister pointed out that despite these challenges, there are significant opportunities for women’s participation in the economic and social spheres, access to climate financing tools, and the promotion of equal opportunities between genders. She noted that effective participation of both genders is crucial for achieving sustainable development efforts.
Al-Mashat emphasized that strengthening women’s empowerment requires bolstering national strategies and advocating for reforms. Egypt has taken successive steps towards achieving comprehensive and sustainable development by adopting the National Strategy for Women’s Empowerment 2030.
The country has also integrated the goals of women’s empowerment into other national strategies, including the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050, the Presidential Initiative for a Decent Life, and the National Family Development Project.
The Minister also highlighted efforts made with multilateral and bilateral development partners to enhance women’s empowerment in various fields and support equal opportunities.
One of these initiatives is the launch of the “Catalyst for Closing the Gender Gap,” which aims to foster partnerships between the public and private sectors in collaboration with the Global Economic Development Forum to enhance women’s economic participation.
The Ministry of International Cooperation, in collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, has designed programs to boost women’s involvement in business, develop micro-enterprises, and facilitate access to financing for female entrepreneurs.
The Minister emphasized that empowering women economically and socially is a key objective of the partnerships and programs being implemented with both multilateral and bilateral development partners across various sectors.
As a result, the ministry’s current portfolio comprises 117 projects in partnership with 35 development partners, benefiting 27 entities in the country. In Egypt, women’s empowerment is a primary or secondary goal in sectors such as agriculture, health, social protection, education, small enterprises, and industry.
