Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, witnessed the launch of the joint regional project between the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to enhance women entrepreneurs’ access to financing, during the activities of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Forum (WEEF), which will be held on November 13 and 14. , which was organized by the organization in Cairo today in the presence of Orlik Vestergaard Knudsen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with the participation of a number of ministers and ambassadors of countries around the world and representatives of the European Union and organizations. International, including Mrs. Nour bint Ali Al Khalif, Minister of Sustainable Development, Member of the Supreme Council for Women, and CEO of the Economic Development Board in Bahrain.
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat stressed the importance of the project funded by the European Union, which works to enhance the economic empowerment of women by improving financial inclusion and access to finance in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, including Egypt, by strengthening an enabling policy and regulatory framework for financial inclusion. Women and access to finance, especially women entrepreneurs, explaining that the project works to enhance the awareness and participation of policy makers and financial institutions towards the financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs.
In the same context, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat participated in the opening session of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Forum 2024, affiliated with the OECD Initiative in the Middle East and North Africa, alongside Mr. Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen, Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, and Anne Shaw, Deputy Head of the Union Mission. European in Egypt; Ruta Zarnauskaite, Head of the Regional Cooperation Unit for the European Neighborhood South of the European Commission, Ambassador Steffen Borg, Deputy Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean; Ambassador Eric Chevalier, French Ambassador to Egypt.
During her speech, she discussed the economic empowerment of women at the heart of Egypt’s national strategies, stressing the extent to which women’s economic empowerment is linked to Egypt’s national development priorities, in order to achieve growth, reflecting the commitment to mobilizing women’s full potential as active and empowered participants, adding that the number of women constitutes approximately 49%. of population, making promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment more than just an economic necessity; Rather, it represents an essential part of the national strategy.
She continued that, believing in the impact of equal opportunities between the sexes, Egypt has launched a national strategy for women’s empowerment since 2017, which is consistent with Egypt’s Vision 2030, and does not only represent a set of policies; Rather, it is a comprehensive, results-oriented roadmap for achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce, a just economy, and a society where every woman has the resources and support to realize her full potential.
She explained that the government aims to create an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs in a way that contributes to a stronger and more comprehensive economy, through gender-responsive budgeting, mainstreaming the gender perspective and targeted skills development programmes, referring to the 2022 Gender-Responsive Sustainable Development Plan Guide, which confirms Commitment to building an inclusive society by integrating gender considerations into every government program.
Adding that by adopting a gender-responsive planning and budgeting approach, Egypt is moving towards a sustainable and inclusive environment where all citizens can contribute to and benefit from economic growth.
Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt’s cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, stressing that the partnership with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development represents a strategic alliance aimed at maximizing the impact of gender equality initiatives within the national development agenda in Egypt, noting the launch of The country program with the OECD in 2021, which represents a strong framework for cooperation, includes 35 projects designed to address Egypt’s most pressing social and economic priorities. Among those projects, there are two main projects. Focused directly on promoting women’s empowerment, they underscore Egypt’s commitment to evidence-based policy making and transforming gender equality commitments into tangible and lasting impact.
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat pointed to the “Review and Capacity Building for Women’s Participation in the Economy” project, where work is being done with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to identify and overcome challenges and obstacles to women’s economic participation, explaining that this project is comprehensive, as it evaluates Egypt’s progress with regard to the OECD’s recommendation. , on gender equality in education, employment and entrepreneurship, and also provides implementable recommendations to close gender gaps in economic participation, adding that the project supports Egypt in promoting women’s economic empowerment through a series of collaborative activities.
The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation also touched on the “Women’s Participation in Public Life” project, explaining that it represents a pioneering initiative to integrate a gender perspective into green and digital transformations, as they are two crucial sectors for Egypt’s sustainable and climate development goals. She continued that the project, which comes with support from the Support Project OECD Public Governance; It aims to promote gender integration and enhance women’s leadership.
She continued that these projects provide Egypt with enhanced capabilities, frameworks, and visions that support gender equality in policies, adding that by implementing international best practices and enhancing cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Egypt is not only promoting its own goals, but also contributing to the exchange of regional knowledge on Gender responsive policies.
She also discussed the program to support public and economic governance in Egypt, funded by the European Union in light of the strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union, in cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, expressing her gratitude for that cooperation, considering that the program represents a decisive initiative in promoting the state’s goals related to governance reform and equality between… gender and integrating a gender perspective at all levels of public administration, noting the launch of initiatives that contribute to the effective participation of youth in policy processes, which reflects Egypt’s commitment to a comprehensive approach to governance.
