National Council for Women (NCW) has organized a comprehensive four-day workshop aimed at strengthening the capacities of Gender Equality Units across 33 ministries, national authorities, and specialized councils. The initiative is part of the Council’s broader effort to empower working women, promote equal opportunities, and eliminate workplace discrimination in line with Egypt’s National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030.
Held from 27 to 30 October, the workshop brought together representatives from ministries, affiliated bodies, and specialized councils, as well as experts from the NCW and the UNFPA.
Strengthening Gender Equality Structures Within Ministries
The workshop focused on equipping Gender Equality Units with the tools needed to develop annual operational plans aligned with national priorities.
Dr. Shaimaa Naeem, Director General of the Strategic Planning Department and National Coordinator for the Gender Equality Units, outlined the core mandates of the units and demonstrated mechanisms for coordination with key ministerial departments—such as strategic planning, governance, international cooperation, and women’s affairs.
She emphasized that the NCW established these units inside ministries to empower women employees, combat discrimination, and help institutions achieve the targets of Egypt’s 2030 Women’s Empowerment Strategy.
The workshop featured contributions from the NCW’s Strategic Planning Department—including Rania Taha, Nesreen El-Beshbeishy, Sheimaa Shiha, Mahaoud Refaat, Hanaa Refaat from the Women’s Complaints Office, as well as legal and social experts from the Violence Against Women Unit, such as Counselor Ahmed El-Naggar, Dr. Amal Philip, and national coordinator Mona Salem.
UNFPA gender programs specialist Sally Zehni also participated alongside ministry representatives.
Key Themes
The workshop tackled essential concepts related to equal opportunity, methods for enhancing the operational effectiveness of Gender Equality Units, and approaches for designing institutional pathways to address violence against women in the workplace.
Participants reviewed the work of the NCW’s Coordinating Unit for Combating Violence Against Women, and explored best practices and successful models implemented by participating ministries to create safe and supportive work environments for women.
Sessions also shed light on:
- Psychological and health support mechanisms for survivors
- Findings from the Economic Cost of Violence Against Women Survey, developed by the NCW in collaboration with UNFPA and CAPMAS
- Core indicators for tracking institutional progress
Strengthening Reporting Mechanisms
Representatives from the Women’s Complaints Office outlined the complaint-handling protocols, confidentiality standards, and the internal referral system used across ministries for resolving issues faced by women employees.
They highlighted the importance of building the capacity of legal and psychological support providers to ensure effective case management and survivor-centered services. Discussions also covered recent updates in Egypt’s legislative and policy framework for combating violence against women.
The National Council for Women reaffirmed that enhancing the role of Gender Equality Units is essential for promoting fairness, women’s empowerment, and a safe working environment across all state institutions—cornerstones of achieving Egypt’s 2030 gender equality objectives.
