The UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo, in collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Regional Center for Adult Education (ASFEC), organized a four-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop to prepare adult educators for piloting the Women, Family, and Community (WFC) learning program in Egypt.
The workshop brought together 35 educators representing various key stakeholders in the adult education sector, including the Ministry of Social Solidarity, civil society organizations, the Adult Education Authority, ASFEC, and champion literacy facilitators.
The WFC program is a unique learning initiative designed to foster social and economic empowerment for marginalized women in Egypt. Aligned with the country’s national family development plan, it focuses on capitalizing on women’s critical role in developing their families and communities. UNESCO and UIL introduced this framework during the International Literacy Day 2023 celebrations, demonstrating their commitment to supporting Egypt in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 by promoting lifelong learning for all, ensuring no one is left behind.
The ToT workshop, held at ASFEC in Sirs El-Ryan, marked the beginning of the project’s pilot phase. Over four consecutive days, participants engaged in interactive sessions covering diverse topics such as family and intergenerational learning, social and emotional learning (SEL), education for sustainable development, civic education, global citizenship education (GCED), financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and creative industries (CCIs). “The WFC Learning Together content and training program provides a good opportunity to build strong partnerships with civil society and many actors in adult education,” remarked Dr. Amal Shaheen from the Public Authority for Adult Education.
Participants left the workshop equipped with practical skills and tools, ready to implement the WFC program and its learning toolkits in their professional and personal lives. Many attendees committed to operating literacy classes using the WFC methodology in vulnerable areas covered by their organizations. A comprehensive action plan for the pilot phase and a monitoring framework are being developed to assess the effectiveness of this new approach to adult education. Dr. Magda Mahmoud Abdel-Aal from the Majd Misr Foundation for Media and Development expressed, “Through my long work with women in the neediest villages, I find that this content provides an integrated package for personal, community, and professional development that contributes to achieving family cohesion and enables effective citizenship practices.”
One of the workshop’s significant outcomes was raising awareness about the importance of promoting intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in teaching and learning practices. Additionally, participants explored various approaches to creating safe learning environments and promoting gender equality. Hadeer Adel from the Community Development Association commented, “The presentation and training motivated me to complete my master’s and PhD studies in adult education; I feel empowered to use the integrated WFC content in my work.”
Looking ahead, WFC is designed to be adaptable and contextualized in diverse learning environments. Additional workshops will be organized in the coming months for stakeholders interested in adopting the program in their projects to reach more adult educators in underserved areas. For more information on upcoming workshops and initiatives, visit the UNESCO Cairo and UIL website
