EU Ambassador Calls for Women’s Leadership in Egypt’s Water Sector

In a high-level event co-hosted by the European Union Delegation and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to mark World Water Day 2026, the EU Ambassador to Egypt Angelina Eichhorst launched a bold strategic vision linking water management with women’s empowerment. 

Under the theme “Water and Gender – Where Water Flows, Equality Grows,” the EU Ambassador emphasized that women’s leadership in the water sector is no longer just a social choice but a strategic necessity for economic stability and climate resilience.

Moreover, Eichhorst highlighted the massive and enduring partnership between the EU and Egypt, noting that since 2007, the Union has provided EUR 600 million in grants, which in turn leveraged total investments of EUR 3.5 billion.

These joint efforts have delivered tangible results for approximately 25 million citizens, including the expansion of nearly 11,000 kilometers of water networks and support for 200 water and wastewater treatment plants across the country.

​Addressing the challenges of scarcity, the EU Ambassador pointed out that Egypt remains one of the most water-stressed nations in the world, a reality that places a disproportionate burden on women and girls who often absorb the hidden costs of water stress. 

The speech stressed that integrating women as engineers, researchers, and community leaders is the most effective way to improve water governance, asserting that when women are missing from decision-making roles, priorities remain incomplete and investments become less effective.

​The event also featured the launch of the "Ward El Kheir" initiative, which the Ambassador praised as a practical model for the green transition by turning environmental challenges into economic opportunities for local women while preserving waterways. 

The EU Ambassador pledged that the next phase of the EU-Egypt Strategic Partnership would be "gender-responsive by design," ensuring that the needs of all community members are integrated into infrastructure and financing projects from the very start.

​In closing, Eichhorst urged that World Water Day should serve as a moment for proactive policy-making rather than just reflection, calling for a stronger voice for women not only as beneficiaries but as leaders and decision-makers. 

In the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan, the EU Ambassador expressed a commitment to continued collaboration with Egypt to build a future where equality grows alongside the flow of the Nile.