ISESCO Director General praises Egyptian First Lady’s speech on women empowerment

CAIRO – 13 March 2021: Egypt’s First Lady Entissar El Sisi’s speech on equality between men and women during the celebration of the Islamic World Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ISESCO) had left an imprint on women, said ISESCO Director-General Dr. Salim Al-Malik.

 

He added that her participation in the celebration has a great impact as she sent many messages to women worldwide through the organization, noting that a big forum would be held to address cultural property.

 

"The First Lady of Egypt spoke about the breakthrough that has been achieved in Egypt over the last period. Mrs. Entissar El-Sisi indicated that women in the parliament constitute 25 percent,” he said.

 

ISESCO has announced that 2021 is the year of women due to what they have endured during the coronavirus pandemic.  

 

“Egypt was able to achieve an unprecedented breakthrough in empowering women, gender equality in recent years thanks to political will,” the First Lady said in her speech on Thursday.

 

She added, “Egypt has launched a national strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, in line with its Sustainable Development Goals.”

 

Entissar el-Sissi further stated that Egypt’s president was the main supporter for increasing women’s representation in the Egyptian parliament, in its two chambers by 27 percent, and in the Cabinet by 25 percent.

 

Regarding the legislation aspects, the First Lady went on saying that Egypt’s 2014 constitution includes more than 20 articles to guarantee women's rights in various aspects of life.

 

“Egypt approved a package of law amendments to protect Egyptian women like the criminalization of inheritance deprivation, and heightening penalty of FGM, sexual harassment, and bullying,” she said.   

 

Entissar el-Sisi also went on explaining Egypt’s stance to protect women amid the prolonged combat against the Coronavirus pandemic. “Egypt took the lead in issuing a policy paper responding to women needs amid dealing with Coronavirus pandemic, and launched a mechanism in 2020 to monitor policies’ implementation,” she said.

 

Egypt ranked first in a UN report discussing measures taken by states to support women amid the COVID pandemic, she added.

 

The First Lady further highlighted the decision to call the year 2017 the “Year of Egyptian women” to reflect the status of Egyptian women in society