Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat held talks on Sunday with Director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Egypt Leslie Reid and her work team.
The meeting was held as part of discussions to approve the Economic and Social Empowerment Program for Women between the government and USAID.
The program aims to enhance cooperation in the field of women’s empowerment and revitalize their role in achieving development, in line with the country’s development vision and the National Strategy for Women Empowerment 2030.
Mashat said empowering women is a key focus in many strategies for joint action with multilateral and bilateral development partners.
“It aims to enhance women’s role in the society and empower them economically and socially, improving their access to economic opportunities and changing the traditional image of their role, which will be reflected in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.”
The program targets improving the work environment for women in the private sector, increasing the rate of their financial inclusion, reducing improper practices towards them, stimulating high-growth sectors to provide more job opportunities for women, and supporting equality between the sexes to reduce the gap in the labor market, Mashat said in a statement.
She hailed the strategic ties between the government and USAID and their impact on many development sectors.
Mashat referred to the seven grant agreements signed between the Ministry and USAID on November 1, 2021, worth $125 million.
She announced then that the agreements will stimulate the state’s development efforts in the fields of education, science and technology, agriculture, health, economic governance, trade and investment.
They aim to open horizons for women’s participation in various fields to enhance the inclusive economy, increase growth rates, and achieve sustainable development.
Reid, for her part, said that the USAID appreciates its partnership with the Egyptian government in various areas of development through ongoing programs and projects, stressing that empowering women is one of the main goals both sides are working to achieve.
