| Country: |
Egypt |
|
Organization: |
The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) |
| Address: |
8/10 Madhaf el-Manial str., 11th Floor, App. 25
Manial el-Roda, Cairo, Egypt
|
| Tel: |
(20-2) 532 3649 |
| Fax: |
(20-2) 363 2352 |
| E-mail: |
ecwr@link.net |
| Objectives: |
1. Improving the political and social status of women by confronting all forms of gender discrimination;
2. Empowering women and young women through educational programs, such as political and legal education, literacy programs, and health awareness sessions;
3. Protecting girls and young women from harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation;
4. Encouraging women and young women to take an active role in society by raising their awareness on gender issues.
|
| Intervention Sectors: |
1. Education:
(a)“Four Literacies Program” targeting, body literacy, money literacy, word literacy, and civil literacy;
(b)Raising awareness on the necessity of educating children and girls in particular.
2. Health: Sexual & reproductive health.
3. Social integration: Special programs & services; participation & rights of vulnerable young women; legal aid program.
4. Young women’s rights: Equal opportunities; cadre school; legal aid; gender based violence.
5. Capacity building: Enabling environment; leadership development.
6. Political leadership: Good governance; good citizenship. |
| Leadership: |
Percentage of young women’s membership: 50%
Participation of young women at the decision making levels:
As board members--> 10%
As committee members--> 10%
As partners in program planning and decision-making--> 10%
As participants and volunteers--> 10% |
| Networking: |
Partners at the national level: Ministry of Youth;
Partners at the regional level:
1. Care for Girls;
2. Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI);
Partners at the international level: Womankind Worldwide (UK).
Member of regional platforms: Arab Network for Democratic Development.
Member of international platforms:
1. INSTRAW GAINS;
2. World Movement for Development. |
| Involvement: |
Involvement in designing, implementing and evaluating national youth policies: Lobbying to amend discriminatory laws against women. |
| Guidelines/ Participation: |
Participation of young women:
1. As beneficiaries and targeted groups;
2. As trainees and volunteers;
3. As multipliers of information.
Existing policies and guidelines to ensure young women’s participation:
1. General guidelines and policies;
2. Encouragement and support;
3. Access to information, including rights and responsibilities;
4. Raising awareness regarding young women’s participation and rights.
Challenges facing the participation of young women in leadership:
Cultural prejudices, early marriage, and social stereotypes limit young women’s access to educational advancement and prevent them from taking leadership positions. |
| Project: |
Legal Aid Program |
| Objectives: |
1. Educating women & young women on their rights and enabling them to obtain those right;
2. Creating awareness of women’s rights as an integral part of human rights;
3. Lobbying against discriminatory laws and procedures;
4. Monitoring violations and aggressions inflicted on women and girls whether by individuals or society as a whole. |
| Brief: |
1. Conducting awareness and training sessions for the benefit of the entire community;
2. Providing family counseling, and filing laws suits on behalf of underprivileged women;
3. Organizing training and legal awareness sessions in different districts in Egypt targeting social workers to enable them to replicate the training in their own NGOs and communities. Issues addressed include: gender based violence; dealing with police and prosecution officers; legal literacy sessions with a focus on family law, penal code, new lease law, and labor law. |
| Duration: |
2002-2004 |
| Location: |
3 govornorates of Greater Cairo: Cairo, Giza and Qalubia. |
| Target Group: |
Social workers, trainers of adults, NGO staff. |
| Funding: |
Swiss Catholic Fund. |
| Results: |
1. This project has a multiplier effects as it has a training of trainers component.
2. Training sessions target an average of 500 direct participants per year, who are able to transfer knowledge and skills to others.
3. Success stories of women and young women who are now capable of defending their own rights and interests. |
| Project 2: |
Training of Trainers for Youth Leaders. |
| Objectives: |
Building up a new generation of young people, and enabling them to participate in civil and social organizations. |
| Brief: |
As a first step, a youth camp was organized, in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth, with a focus on political and cultural issues. By building a model youth people’s cabinet and parliament, the trainees learned about democracy and political work. |
| Duration: |
On going since 2001 |
| Location: |
Port Said for 2001. |
| Target Group: |
163 young people from all governorates in Egypt. |
| Results: |
The most important resolutions adopted by the young people’s cabinet and parliament were:
1. To ensure the use of democratic principles;
2. To raise awareness of the importance of public work;
3. To strengthen relationship between the young people and the government. |
| Future Plans: |
Training youth leaders and providing them with needed skills to work with other young people. The main emphasis will be on:
1.Cooperation and social interaction among youth themselves;
2.Democracy as a base for solving social problems;
3.Egyptian Constitution and parliamentary tools;
4.Universal agreements on political and civil rights. |
