The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM), in collaboration with UNICEF, held a roundtable discussion titled “Girls’ Health in Egypt”. The event aimed to set forth a policy framework to guide the future of girls’ health in the country and to identify strategies for overcoming barriers related to their well-being.
The meeting brought together representatives from several key governmental bodies, including the Ministries of Health, Youth and Sports, Culture, Education, and Religious Endowments, as well as the National Council for Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations Population Fund. The event aimed to set forth a policy framework to guide the future of girls’ health in Egypt and to identify strategies for overcoming barriers related to their well-being.
Dr. Sahar Senabaty opened the discussion by emphasizing the significance of Egypt’s commitment to children’s rights through its adherence to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals and Egypt’s Vision 2030. She highlighted that empowering girls, including those with disabilities, has been a core priority for the council since its inception. This priority is evident in initiatives such as the Girls’ Education Initiative, which serves as a model in promoting female education, and the Doi initiative, launched under the patronage of Egypt’s First Lady, Mrs. Intisar El-Sisi, in March 2022. This initiative reflects the First Lady’s unwavering support for girls’ rights and her belief in their potential.
Dr Sahar ElSonbaty, the President of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM), also stressed that a crucial pillar of the “Doi” initiative is investing in children’s health, especially considering the physiological changes during puberty. The roundtable presented a valuable opportunity to discuss the involvement of various sectors in creating a broader impact on girls’ education, employment, health, equality, and access to clean water and sanitation. It also focused on the need for greater awareness about proper nutrition and the challenges girls face during their growth phases.
Looking forward, Dr. ElSonbaty expressed her hopes that the roundtable would be the beginning of a series of sessions aimed at activating proposed policies. She emphasized the importance of a participatory, multi-sector approach to ensure the health and well-being of every girl in Egypt.
On her part, Natalia Rossi, UNICEF’s representative in Egypt, highlighted that the health of girls, especially during the transformative puberty phase, is an essential component of preserving their dignity, empowerment, and fundamental rights. She affirmed UNICEF’s commitment to empowering adolescent girls through multi-sector initiatives and working closely with the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood. Rossi also outlined UNICEF’s role in developing evidence-based national policy recommendations that prioritize girls’ health within national frameworks and budgets, ensuring that policies are data-driven and reflect the voices and needs of girls.
The roundtable marked a significant step towards advancing the national agenda for girls’ health and empowerment, underlining the importance of a collaborative, multi-sector approach in creating a healthier, more inclusive environment for girls in Egypt.
