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Egypt Promotes Women Economic Empowerment Through National Conference

Photo of the event held in Cairo in support of women’s role (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the event held in Cairo in support of women’s role (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt Promotes Women Economic Empowerment Through National Conference

Photo of the event held in Cairo in support of women’s role (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the event held in Cairo in support of women’s role (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The National Consultation on Women’s Economic Empowerment in Egypt - organized by the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation in collaboration with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Embassy of Sweden – kicked off on Tuesday in Cairo, with the participation of diplomats and representatives of international organizations.

Gabriela Ramos, OECD chief of staff, valued the presence of eight women ministers in the Egyptian government, pointing out that the OECD sought to support the Egyptian government’s plans to empower women and its economic reform agenda.

“Increasing women’s employment rates from the current 23% to 50% will improve the growth rate by about 7%, so we must emphasize that women’s empowerment is an economic issue, not just a social issue,” she said.

Ramos added that Egypt assumed a great role in the region in the empowerment of women, pointing out that many African countries have taken Egypt as an example in implementing economic reforms in this regard.

Egyptian Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr said that the ministry was working on legislative reforms and investment policies for the economic empowerment of women, and attracting investors to inject new investments in Egypt, especially businesswomen.

Nasr emphasized the ministry’s focus on providing job opportunities for women and the youth, adding that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has stressed, since the beginning of his term, the need to support the empowerment of women in all fields.

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Arab World

Sudan Army Says Recaptures Key State Capital

Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
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Sudan Army Says Recaptures Key State Capital

Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP

The Sudanese army said Saturday it had retaken a key state capital south of Khartoum from rival Rapid Support Forces who had held it for the past five months.

The Sennar state capital of Sinja is a strategic prize in the 19-month-old war between the regular army and the RSF as it lies on a key road linking army-controlled areas of eastern and central Sudan.

It posted footage on social media that it said had been filmed inside the main base in the city.

"Sinja has returned to the embrace of the nation," the information minister of the army-backed government, Khaled al-Aiser, said in a statement.

Aiser's office said armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had travelled to the city of Sennar, 60 kilometres (40 miles) to the north, on Saturday to "inspect the operation and celebrate the liberation of Sinja", AFP reported.

The RSF had taken the two cities in a lightning offensive in June that saw nearly 726,000 civilians flee, according to UN figures.

Human rights groups have said that those who were unwilling or unable to leave have faced months of arbitrary violence by RSF fighters.

Sinja teacher Abdullah al-Hassan spoke of his "indescribable joy" at seeing the army enter the city after "months of terror".

"At any moment, you were waiting for militia fighters to barge in and beat you or loot you," the 53-year-old told AFP by telephone.

Both sides in the Sudanese conflict have been accused of war crimes, including indiscriminately shelling homes, markets and hospitals.

The RSF has also been accused of summary executions, systematic sexual violence and rampant looting.

The RSF control nearly all of the vast western region of Darfur as well as large swathes of Kordofan in the south. They also hold much of the capital Khartoum and the key farming state of Al-Jazira to its south.

Since April 2023, the war has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted more than 11 million -- creating what the UN says is the world's largest displacement crisis.

From the eastern state of Gedaref -- where more than 1.1 million displaced people have sought refuge -- Asia Khedr, 46, said she hoped her family's ordeal might soon be at an end.

"We'll finally go home and say goodbye to this life of displacement and suffering," she told AFP.