Arab Finance: 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. , organized by the organization in Cairo.
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.
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.
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.
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