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Egypt, USAID Hold Talks to Approve Women Empowerment Program

Mashat during a meeting with the USAID team in Egypt. (Egyptian government)
Mashat during a meeting with the USAID team in Egypt. (Egyptian government)
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Egypt, USAID Hold Talks to Approve Women Empowerment Program

Mashat during a meeting with the USAID team in Egypt. (Egyptian government)
Mashat during a meeting with the USAID team in Egypt. (Egyptian government)

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.

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Arab World

Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
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Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD

Eid al-Fitr in Syria was charged with newfound joy this year, as thousands freely celebrated the holiday for the first time after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

From the early morning hours, crowds of men, women and children flocked to pray at Damascus's historic Umayyad Mosque in the Old City.

"This is the first time we truly feel the joy of Eid, after getting rid of Assad's tyrannical regime," Fatima Othman told AFP.

Following prayer, worshippers exchanged Eid greetings while street vendors sold colorful balloons and toys to children posing for photos with their parents.

"Our celebration is doubled after Assad's fall," said Ghassan Youssef, a resident of the capital.

A few kilometers (miles) away, on the slopes of Mount Qasyun overlooking Damascus -- a site previously off-limits to Syrians until Assad was deposed on December 8 -- a few thousand people gathered at Unknown Soldier Square for an open-air prayer.

Among them were members of the security forces and the army, dressed in uniform and armed. The road leading to the square was packed, according to an AFP photographer.

Some worshippers distributed sweets to celebrate, while the three-star Syrian flag, adopted by the new authorities, waved in the air.

Under the previous government, access to the Unknown Soldier monument was typically restricted to Assad and his close associates, who would lay wreaths there during national ceremonies.

'Celebration of celebrations!'
The memorial, where a giant screen broadcast the Eid prayer, is near the presidential palace.

There, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa prayed alongside Syria's new mufti Osama al-Rifai and several cabinet ministers in the presence of a large crowd.

He later delivered a speech emphasizing the country faced "a long and arduous road to reconstruction but possesses all the resources needed to recover".

This came two days after the formation of a new government, which faces daunting challenges in a country devastated by 14 years of civil war.

Wael Hamamiya, who had been in Sweden since the early days of the conflict, returned to Damascus to celebrate Eid with his family.

"This is my first Eid here in nearly 15 years. I truly feel the celebration in its full meaning," he told AFP, beaming.

"Everyone who has come is over the moon. This is the celebration of celebrations!"

The occasion was more somber for some Syrians, who were able to visit the graves of loved ones that had been off-limits during Assad reign, especially in former opposition strongholds.

At al-Rawda Cafe in Damascus, 36-year-old Amer Hallaq chatted with friends after returning from exile in Berlin where he ended up after dodging compulsory military service in 2014.

"For years, I thought I'd never see my family again or celebrate Eid with them," Hallaq said.

"The joy of liberation and victory is immense, but there's still a lot of work ahead. This is only the beginning of the road."