"Dawwie" Marks Its Outstanding Accomplishments

Egypt's government and UN Children's Fund convened a special event at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) to mark the achievements of the "National Girl’s Empowerment Initiative Dawwie", sponsored by Egypt’s First Lady H.E. Entissar Elsisi, in all governorates across the country.

The event featured a keynote speech from Mrs. Elsisi (on video) and musical performances by Egypt's renowned harpist Mona Wasif.

In her address, Egypt’s First Lady said, "I affirm my pride in the successes achieved by the national initiative "Dawwie" so far in reaching Egyptian girls on the ground in the villages of 21 governorates to listen to them in schools, youth centers, universities, and develop their skills. 

She continued: "By obtaining the necessary skills, knowledge, and services for success, thus qualifying, and empowering them to create a society that understands and believes in equality. To conclude, my message to every Egyptian girl is that you are the strength of Egypt and its bright future and the hope for a more developed and prosperous society”.

Then came Dr. Hala Al-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, and said, "the celebration is the culmination of fruitful cooperation and relentless efforts that many National institutions contributed to, led by the National Council for Women and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, in cooperation with a number of international development partners, including UNICEF, to make the project a success."

Dr. Al-Said added, “institutional and community participation to support girls through the activities of the National Girl’s Empowerment Initiative "Dawwie" in the governorates of Egypt, supporting mothers and girls, comes in line with the integrated efforts made by the state to empower all women in Egypt”.

For her part, Dr. Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women, expressed her deepest thanks and appreciation to Egypt’s First Lady Entissar Elsisi, for her support of Egyptian girls and women through her sponsorship of the Noura and Dawwie National Initiatives.

Morsy said, "we gather today to celebrate the success in transforming commitments into achievements through the National Girl’s Empowerment Initiative, "Dawwie", as we are all committed to empowering girls to have a better future by developing their skills and providing them with equal opportunities to access the services they need in their lives. 

"We continue our pledge to expand under the umbrella of the National Project for The Development of The Egyptian Family in every governorate and even in every village. And I confirm that the “Dawwie” digital application will provide more opportunities for girls and boys to share their stories and obtain a digital learning certificate, and it is also possible to obtain the “Dawwie” toolkit through the app,” she added.

Dr. Maya added, "now let's continue our dream together so that “Dawwie’s” interventions reach one million girls and boys, and five million members of society, because the circle is not complete without girls, boys, the family and all the community members."

Dr. Iman Karim, Secretary-General of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, said, “the National Council for Persons with Disabilities is looking forward to expanding its participation in the National Girl’s Empowerment Initiative “Dawwie” with the aim of empowering girls with disabilities as the most vulnerable groups, especially in the most marginalized and underprivileged areas, and reducing harmful practices and any form of discrimination, violence or exploitation against them, and to promote equal opportunities for development”.

In turn, Engineer Nevine Osman, Secretary-General of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, said, “our celebration today marking the achievements of “Dawwie” initiative under the auspices of Egypt’s First Lady Entissar Elsisi is a milestone for every girl who succeeded in developing her abilities and making her voice heard, and every mother, father and brother who supported her, we are also proud of the successful collaboration between all ministries, governorates and development partners in implementing this significant initiative.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF Representative in Egypt stated, “today, there are nearly 26 million girls in Egypt under the age of 24, who represent an invaluable potential. To ensure that young girls reach their full potential, the National Girl’s Empowerment Initiative comes under the auspices of Egypt’s First Lady Entissar Elsisi, to focus on three components, including dialogue, acquiring skills, and access to services.

Hopkins added, "I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to all line ministries, national councils, colleagues from sister UN agencies, and I would particularly like to acknowledge UNFPA as well as UNWomen as well as the rest of the UN Country Team under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator Elena Panova. My thanks to development partners who support the journey of empowering girls in Egypt, in particular USAID, Spain and the Netherlands."

Moreover, Ahmed Helmy, UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador, said, "I salute all the girls and boys participating in "Dawwie", who expressed their opinions, sought self-development, and even helped others to do so. You are stars because you are the heroes of your story. You inspire others and benefit your communities". 

The acclaimed actor added, "I thank all the supporters of 'Dawwie', and I thank the parents who help their daughters to be capable, decision-makers, and successful in any field they want."

The ceremony ended with appreciation shields offered to the governors for their role and support for the initiative to achieve its goals, by providing all the necessary facilities and capabilities for all the initiative's activities.

 Among those who were honoured are; Major General, Khaled Shuaib Mahmoud, Governor of Matrouh, Major General, Ashraf Gharib Al Dawoudi, Governor of Qena, Major General Essam Saad, Governor of Assiut, Chancellor Mustafa Muhammad Elham, Governor of Luxor, Major General, Ashraf Attia, Governor of Aswan, and Major General Tariq Muhammad Muhammad al-Fiqi, Governor of Sohag.