Egypt 1st to implement Gender Equality Seal in tourism: NCW

CAIRO - 24 May 2019: Egypt would be the first country to implement the UNDP's Gender Equality Seal Programme in the tourism sector, head of the National Council for Women said, adding that many countries would benefit from the Egyptian experiment in this regard.



This came during Maya Morsy's speech in a seminar to announce the steps required for the various tourist institutions in Egypt to acquire the Gender Equality Seal of the United Nations Development Programme. Minister of Tourism Rania al-Mashat attended the seminar.

The NCW and the UNDP, in cooperation with the tourism sector, are launching a plan for women's empowerment in the tourism sector, Morsy said, adding that the tourism sector is one of the main fields that attracts a large number of women and business leaders.


A seminar to announce the steps required for the various tourist institutions in Egypt to acquire the Gender Equality Seal of the United Nations Development Programme- Press photo


Morsy noted that unemployment rate among women has decreased from 24.3percent to 19 percent.

"Origin of the tale"

NCW has organized earlier a seminar whose title literally translated into "The Egyptian Woman: the Origin of the Tale" on the sidelines of the 64th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) held in Sharm El Sheikh.

Morsy said that there are some women who became pioneers in a number of fields women are new to, and are taking part in decision making. She added that it is the first time for a woman to occupy the post of the president's advisor for national security affairs.




Women have turned to hold 15 percent of the parliamentary seats in 2018, compared to only 2 percent in 2013, which is considered the highest percentage ever in the history of the Egyptian Parliament, Morsy continued.

She also referred to the increase in the number of women ministers from 6 percent in 2015, to 20 percent in 2017, and then 25 percent in 2018, reiterating that it is also the highest percentage ever in the Egyptian history in this regard.

Moreover, the percentage of female investors in the Egyptian stock exchange has increased by 30 percent, Morsy said, stressing that some women have become in charge of micro-finance.

Such achievements have been part of the outcome of the Egyptian political management supporting women and working to apply their constitutional entitlements on the ground.

Referring to some of the women's achievements in the political field, Morsy said that Egyptian women took to the streets on June 30, 2013 (and took part in overthrowing the ruling Muslim Brotherhood regime at the time.