Egypt launches guide for gender-responsive sustainable development plan

CAIRO - 22 March 2021: Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said launched Sunday the guide for a gender-responsive sustainable development plan, which was prepared in cooperation with the "Macroeconomic Reform and Stability" project funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

Experts from 20 bodies, most notably the National Council for Women, the National Council for Disability Affairs, and the School of Economics and Political Science, have set the plan.

Dr. Hala El-Said pointed out that the guide is the first of its kind for it establishes clear and applicable mechanisms and controls for integrating social groups such as women, children, and people with special needs in development plans.

The minister added that the guide places Egypt at the forefront of countries in the region that give top priority to integrating the gender-responsive plan into all development programs and interventions

Through an integrated process, the guide includes monitoring the qualitative gaps between the different groups, developing plans and programs that meet these gaps, as well as following up and evaluating the developmental impact them in all sectors, while giving priority to financing projects that take into account these categories.

On the importance of the guide, El-Said pointed out that it aims to create an encouraging environment to increase the participation of women in economic activity in light of the directions of Egypt's Vision 2030 and mitigate the effects of the Corona pandemic.

The guide also directs government agencies towards implementing development programs and projects that work to implement the state’s vision in the field of social care for women and children.

It also gives priority to funding for these programs and projects in sustainable development plans and provides women with the opportunity to prioritize plans, programs, and development projects.

El-Said explained that the guide El-Said pointed out that the guide includes developmental interventions to meet gender needs in 11 sectors, namely education, healthcare, culture, sports, media, agriculture and irrigation, transportation, local development, labor market, social solidarity, housing, industry, investment and financing, of which more than 60 interventions specific to women, and 65 indicators to evaluate the performance of these interventions.

The guide includes; the legislative and institutional framework for gender-responsive planning and the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals, the pioneering international experiences in this field, the lessons learned from them, and the responsive planning matrix in the various sectors.