Al-Mashat, Panova Visit Primary Health Care Unit in Minya

The Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat & UN Resident Coordinator Elena Panova concluded visit to Minya Governorate by visiting the services of the primary health care unit & speaking to beneficiaries of the “Women Economic Empowerment for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth.

They also reviewed the results of the Women's Economic Empowerment for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth Project "Rabeha", and reviewed a number of projects implemented by women entrepreneurs, in the light of the partnership between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Nations and its subsidiary agencies represented in the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Women, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, Deputy Governor of Minya, and the governorate's leadership, along with officials of UN agencies, representatives of the House of Representatives and civil society organizations participated in the inspection tour.

Details of the Projects

During the visit, the Parenting Programme in Haya Karima Villages, organized by the UNICEF was inspected in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population, the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, and the Ministry of Social Solidarity, as the program targets parents and caregivers in vulnerable families, by organizing workshops and seminars and enabling specialists to share the scientific methods of parenting to enable children to grow properly. This falls within the social justice pillar of the United Nations Partnership Development Framework (UNPDF) 2018 - 2022 with Egypt.

The Minister of International Cooperation, and UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, heard from rural women leaders and women who have benefited from the Women's Economic Empowerment Programme for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Egypt "Raheba", which is being implemented in cooperation between the National Council for Women (NCW), the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA), in cooperation with the UNIDO in cooperation with the UN Women, to significantly enhance the economic empowerment of women in Egypt by mid-2024.

The joint programme, which comes in line with the country’s 2030 Vision, aims to increase the economic participation of at least 6,300 women in the Egyptian private sector in seven governorates: Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Al-Behira, Al-Fayoum, Beni Suef and Minya, by harnessing the potential of female entrepreneurs in many vital sectors such as handicrafts, agricultural manufacturing, medicinal plants, communications and information technology, enhancing women's capacity to develop their businesses and train workers and entrepreneurs, enhancing the performance of productive clusters to create more economic opportunities for women, increasing companies' capacity to implement gender-based policies and achieving gender parity. So far, Raheba has enabled more than 3,188 female entrepreneurs to access job opportunities and enterprise development in many provinces.

Al-Mashat applauded the efforts made by development partners and various UN agencies, in cooperation with relevant national entities, in supporting development efforts, empowering women and youth, and supporting and protecting children, pointing out that through the ongoing partnerships, the UN has already contributed to the implementation of many projects within the presidential initiative "Haya Karima", and through the new strategy with the United Nations, work is being done to expand the scope of partnerships in various priority areas in the country, pointing out that the projects already implemented at the level of women's empowerment reflect the vision and priorities of the state.

“Women’s empowerment and full equality is a key driver of Egypt’s growth and resilience. In Minya, in partnership with the Government, working closely with private sector and civil society, UN Women supports capacities and opportunities of women-owned business and women start-ups while adopting climate- smart approaches; women to find decent employment; and the digital financial inclusion of rural women and women at risk of poverty. The diversity of economic activities in Minya makes it a great potential for women’s economic empowerment.” Ms. Christine Arab; UN Women Egypt Country Representative

"Our focus as UNIDO under the Rabeha programme in El Minya Governorate is to promote the role of micro scale businesses as part of larger value chains steering the local industries of this important Governorate. Only through enhancing the quality of micro suppliers, can we ultimately enhance the overall performance and global competitiveness of our industries at large. UNIDO under Rabeha focuses on ensuring that women led micro businesses in El Minya can meet market and supply chain requirements to connect with their respective industries, through both training and in-depth technical coaching and support. UNIDO also works hand in hand with our governmental counterparts to ensure our approaches and achievements remain fully sustainable and far reaching beyond the programme’s lifetime." Ahmed Rezk, UNIDO

The UNICEF Deputy Representative in Egypt, explained: “UNICEF is proud to support the Government of Egypt in advancing health care and expanding the range of services through a comprehensive approach to prevention, health care, proper nutrition, and the promotion of mental health with a focus on positive education and enabling healthy growth and development of children.”

The collaboration seen in the Primary Care Health Unit between the Ministry of Health and Population, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of International Cooperation, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, and the Minya Water Company Sanitation, as well as the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, the National Council for Women, and development partners demonstrate the commitment of the Government of Egypt to support children. All UN organizations in Egypt are working collectively to achieve the SDGs that are in line with Egypt's 2030 Vision .

The UNSDCF sets out 5 priorities to be achieved by 2027, namely enhancing human capital, social protection and social justice, promoting inclusive sustainable economic development driven by productivity growth, decent jobs, integrating the informal economy, strengthening resilience to climate change and efficient management of natural resources in a sustainable environment, achieving inclusive equity in safe and equitable access to information, in line with a governance framework characterized by transparency, accountability, efficiency, interaction, and inclusive participation of women and girls, and promoting political and economic empowerment.