Gov’t to raise women’s participation in workforce to 35% in 2030: Min.

CAIRO – 17 February 2018: The government is planning to raise women’s participation in the workforce from 22.8 percent in 2014 to 25 percent by 2020 and 35 percent by 2030, Planning Minister Hala al-Saeed said Saturday.

She added that the government aims to achieve equality between men and women in regards to rights and opportunities, through reducing the number of breadwinning women living under the poverty line to 12 percent in 2020 and to zero percent by 2030.

Percentage of breadwinning women living under the poverty line in 2013 stood at 26.3 percent.

These statements came during Saeed’s participation in the Egyptian Businesswomen Association’s fourth annual conference in Cairo.

Saeed said that her ministry has implemented measures that help empower women and has provided many training programs that enhance working women’s capabilities so that they can compete in leadership positions.

The minister said that women and youth are “priorities” in Egypt’s sustainable development strategy “Egypt 2030”, which aims to achieve gender equality.

Entitled “Women Success Partners”, the Egyptian Businesswomen Association’s fourth annual conference sees the participation of more than 150 businesswomen from various countries as well as representatives of Egyptian and international companies.

The conference is taking place from February 17-21 in the governorates of Cairo and Luxor.