UN: Egypt comes among leading countries in confronting impact of coronavirus on women

CAIRO - 18 November 2020: A representative of UN Women, Christine Arab, said that the authority is working to coordinate with various governments and bodies to empower women, noting that women's burdens have doubled, with children receiving their education at home due to the coronavirus crisis.

During a Skype conversation with the DMC Evening Program, Arab said that Egypt is one of the leading countries in confronting the impact of the coronavirus on women, explaining that the government is working to confront the repercussions of the Corona pandemic on women.

Arab added that Egypt is at the forefront of countries working on the issue of gender equality and supporting women, highlighting the many gains of Egyptian women during the past period, saying “President Sisi supports gender equality, and we are working on many activities and campaigns to raise awareness and empower women."

"In 2019, Egypt witnessed a real revolution in supporting women. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is keen on solving women's problems and boosting their position in society,” the chief of the Arab Organization for Human Rights said.

“Thanks to President Sisi’s efforts, women restored a lot of their stolen rights over the last short period of time within the frame work of efforts to empower women to play a greater role in decision-making,” the chief of Arab Organization for Human Rights further elaborated.

For the first time, there are eight women ministers in the Egyptian government and more than 80 representatives in Parliament. Women are appointed in leading positions in governorates and different sectors, which is considered a radical shift and huge progress.

On Egyptian Women Day, March 8, President Sisi announced seven decisions related to women empowerment, including adoption of laws that aim at protecting women’s rights, putting an end to domestic violence and tackling the issues of early marriage and deprivation of education and post-divorce rights.

Moreover, Sisi proposed establishing a fund to address the challenges faced by Egyptian women after he reviewed with the health minister the possibility to screen women nationwide for breast cancer and treat them.