National Council for Women, UN Women launch “Our Mental Health is a Priority” initiative to support women’s mental health

Cairo, 6 May 2020- In light of what Egypt and the world is facing as a result of the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, and as part of the social responsibility to spread awareness among citizens, the National Council for Women in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) launched today the "Our Mental Health is a Priority" initiative, in collaboration with several partners, including Safe Kids and Shezlong, and sponsored by Egypt Today magazine and website, to be launched on the council’s and partners’ social media platforms starting today, Wednesday, May 6, 2020.


The initiative includes a series of awareness-raising videos, provided by a number of psychologists and institutions that provide psychological support, and it aims to support the mental health of Egyptian women and raise awareness among citizens on the importance of mental health in general, in light of the spread of the coronavirus, especially in times of quarantine and curfew precautionary orders which requires staying at home for longer periods.

Dr. Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women, highlighted that the initiative is an important part of the state’s efforts to raise the awareness among citizens, stressing its importance in providing many substantial advice and psychological and social support to the family in general, and woman in particular, in light of the precautionary measures that require staying at home long periods of time.

Dr. Morsy commended the efforts of the Egyptian media for spreading awareness among citizens at this critical stage, as well as Egypt Today magazine and website for its cooperation and quick response to sponsor this initiative.

Ms. Gielan El Messiri, Head of UN Women Egypt County Office a.i., emphasized that mental health services for women are part of the essential services that must be available to women and girls, especially in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and that this initiative would explain how to deal with the crisis in the best ways.

The first video, entitled "Balance in the Time of Corona ", aims at understanding the impact of the current situation on our mental health and the steps that we need to take to overcome this crisis safely.