Egypt

Despite tremendous progress in education and maternal health over the past decade, Egyptian women and girls face many challenges to their full participation in society.

More than half of all adult women are illiterate. Women face enormous barriers in political life. And, certain traditional cultural practices like female genital cutting remain a pressing issue. Some 97 percent of all married Egyptian women have undergone FGC, suffering detrimental, life-long effects on their health and well-being.

CEDPA has worked in Egypt since 1980, partnering with community leaders to confront these challenges. We build women's advocacy and literacy; end female genital cutting; build support for girls’ education; provide life skills training for girls and boys; and expand the capacity of local organizations to lead change in their communities.

Currently, CEDPA’s work with the Egyptian Ministry of Youth on the Enabling Young People’s Civic Participation in Egypt project establishes local and national leadership networks of young women and men. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the project includes week-long leadership camps to educate youth in political and economic issues affecting their country and engage them in future activities. The resulting networks will foster participatory interest in democracy, advocacy and a commitment to voluntary community service across diverse religious, ethinic/tribal and gender groups.

Through our New Horizons and New Visions education programs, CEDPA/Egypt has reached more than 81,000 girls and 18,000 boys over the past decade to increase literacy, build basic life skills, improve knowledge of reproductive health, and promote gender sensitivity so that boys and girls gain communications skills and become more equal partners in family life. A highlight of this work has been empowering local champions against female genital mutilation.

CEDPA has increased women's political and community leadership through the Empowering Grassroots Egyptian Women through Advocacy Networks program. Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, the program helped Egyptian networks develop strategies and spur action to advance women’s priorities, whether it’s promoting female literacy, promoting health or encouraging women to participate in parliamentary elections.

In addition to the many thousands of participants in our country-level programs in Egypt, CEDPA’s global training workshops have included hundreds of Egyptian women and men who are now running organizations, working in government ministries and providing leadership in communities throughout the country.