Full text of President Sisi's speech on the 25th Anniversary of Beijing +25 on Women

CAIRO - 2 October 2020: In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on the 25th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing +25), President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said on Thursday that Egypt has been taken steps to achieve gender equality and empower women, which represent half of the society.

Egypt celebrated the 100th anniversary of Egyptian women's participation in public life, Sisi said, noting that the percentage of Egyptian women's representation in the Egyptian Parliament by 25 percent.

Here is the full text of President Sisi's speech:

Mr. President of the General Assembly,

Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our celebration today of the 25th Anniversary of the adoption of the ‘Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, is regarded as a crowning of the joint global efforts that were exerted over the past to protect women’s rights, strengthen and empower them at all levels; political, economic and social. Women represent half of the society, due attention should be paid to them to ensure that reform, advancement, and renaissance of the society at large, in addition to sustainable development are achieved.

At the national level, Egypt was able to take steady steps in the past period in the field of achieving equality and the empowerment of women. In the past year, Egypt  celebrated the 100th anniversary of ‘Egyptian Women’s Participation in Public Life,’ and was the among the pioneer countries to develop a ‘National Strategy for the Empowerment of Women,’ politically, economically, socially and the provision of Protection. The relevant legal infrastructure was further developed through the adoption of a number of a new legislations and the amendment of existing ones to guarantee  equal opportunities and full equality for women to support their active participation in social mobility without any discrimination, while guaranteeing their protection from all forms of violence and harassment, and the commitment to the provision of care at all stages of life.

These efforts have resulted in several positive results, among which is the increase of women’s representation in the Cabinet of Ministers and in the Egyptian parliament to 25%. Egyptian women also assumed high judicial positions and were appointed in many important others, among which is Governor and Advisor to the President on National Security.

 Egypt is also keen on cooperation at the global and regional levels through participating in all initiatives related to the empowerment of women and their advancement. Egypt currently hosts the premises of the Arab Women Organization that is affiliated to the League of Arab States;  Egypt is also honored to have been chosen to host the premises of the Women Development Organization of the Organization on Islamic Cooperation, a new promising entity which its operation has been decided to commence soon. It will be concerned with advancing the status of women and guaranteeing their empowerment and the achievement of gender equality within the framework of the joint Islamic cooperation. Egypt will also head the Ministerial Conference on Women of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation over the coming two years.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Egypt stresses on the importance of strengthening women’s participation and their effective contribution in peace negotiations and in peacebuilding and is exerting its utmost effort in supporting the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Within the framework of the League of Arab States, Egypt actively participated in the development of the Arab Regional Strategy for the Implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 to commensurate with the context of the Arab region, the most important of which is working on ending the suffering of Palestinian women in the  occupied Palestinian territories and strengthening the role of women in combatting terrorism and extremist ideologies. Egypt has also announced in May 2019 the commencement of developing Egypt’s first National Action Plan on the Implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security 1325 to crown the contributions of Egyptian women in the efforts of Peacemaking, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding.  

Mr. President, in closing, gender equality and the empowerment of women, their protection, and strengthening their rights are the elements that represent an essential cornerstone to guarantee the renaissance of human societies and the achievement of sustainable development. It is not possible to completely strengthen and protect human rights without the protection of women’s rights and their empowerment, in accordance with the relevant international Charters and Covenants. From where I currently stand, I call on everyone to participate in an honest and more effective manner to guarantee the full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform of Action. Thank you.