INTERVIEW | French Amb. Chevallier: Gender Equality Key to Egypt’s Future

French Ambassador to Egypt Éric Chevallier stressed that empowering women and girls is essential for any nation striving for sustainable, forward-looking development, describing gender equality as a core pillar of effective public policy. 

Speaking to Sada El-Balad English (SEE) on the sidelines of the “Shaping the Future for Girls and Women” launch event, he praised Egypt’s growing commitment to advancing equal rights and opportunities.

Chevallier said the initiative touches on an issue that is “crucial for our societies all over the world, including in Egypt,” noting that equality between women and men — and between girls and boys — is vital not only for justice and human rights but also for the overall effectiveness and progress of societies.

“A society which wants to be a society of the future has to have this issue as one of the key elements of public policies and the mobilization of society,” he told SEE. 

The ambassador said he was particularly encouraged by the strong participation of young people at the event. “I saw a lot of young girls, but also young boys, who are fully aware of the importance of the issue,” he added.

Chevallier also commended the European Union delegation in Cairo for leading the initiative and for its successful collaboration with United Nations agencies and civil society organizations. “I would really like to congratulate the EU delegation here, because what they have done with their partners from the UN and from civil society is really impressive,” he said.

The “Shaping the Future for Girls and Women” program is part of the wider Egyptian Women Empowerment Initiative, supported by the European Union in cooperation with the National Council for Women, UN Women, UNFPA, and UNICEF.