The Strategy seeks to emphasize and fulfill Egypt’s commitment to women’s rights as set forth in the Egyptian Constitution of 2014, as well as in binding international conventions, covenants and declarations to which Egypt is a party. Moreover, the Strategy aims to respond to the real needs of Egyptian women–particularly those living in rural areas in Upper Egypt, the poor, female-headed households, the elderly and disabled women. These groups are entitled to care–when the State develops development plans, in order to ensure their full protection, utilize their human and financial resources and potential in order to fulfill the principle of equal opportunities as set forth in the Constitution.
The Strategy consists of four Pillars that are determined to be achieved and they are:
- Women’s political empowerment and the promotion of their leadership roles through encouraging all forms of political participation, including parliamentary representation and representation in local councils; eliminating discrimination against women holding senior positions in executive and judicial institutions; and enabling them to succeed in these posts.
- Women’s economic empowerment through capacity building, entrepreneurship, and equal opportunities for the women’s employment in all sectors, including the private sector and besides holding key positions in public institutions and companies;
- Women’s social empowerment through creating opportunities for wider social participation, increasing women’s agency to make informed choices, and eliminating all harmful and discriminatory practices against women in both the public sphere or within the family. Social empowerment also includes supporting women in gaining their rights in different fields; providing education and health services; supporting women living in difficult conditions, including elderly women and women with disabilities; empowering young women; and increasing their social participation.
- Women’s protection by eliminating negative practices that threaten women’s lives, safety, and dignity and prevent their effective contribution to social development. This includes eliminating all forms of violence against women and protecting them from environmental risks that could have adverse social or economic effects on their livelihoods.
Achieving these goals requires serious efforts to:
- Change the culture of society and challenge stereotypes about women propagated by the media.
- Regard women’s empowerment as a collective responsibility that men and boys must also assume.
- Support women in realizing their full legal rights, with special attention to the rights of marginalized, poor, and disabled women, and amend existing personal status laws to guarantee women’s rights and enhance the chances of family cohesion.
- Renew the religious discourse concerning women’s roles in the public domain and their right to hold public posts.