30 October 2017
News
Amany Abdel-Aal, a Wen-Do instructor from the organization Etijah, teaches women how defend themselves and stand up for their rights. © UNFPA/Rebecca Zerzan
“Your voice is your weapon”: Taking on sexual harassment in Egypt
CAIRO, Egypt – “Your fear is controlling you,” instructor Amany Abdel-Aal told a roomful of women at a Wen-Do self-defence class, held in a cheerfully painted youth centre on the outskirts of Cairo. The students – most... Read more
17 March 2017
News
Shaimaa Ahmed Ali teaches members of her community about the harms of female genital mutilation (FGM). © UNFPA Egypt/Sima Diab
Efforts to end FGM must be intensified, leaders urge
UNITED NATIONS, New York/ASSIUT, Egypt – “I will soon be the happy mother of a baby girl,” Shaimaa Ahmed Ali told UNFPA in Egypt last summer. “I will definitely not have her circumcised. My husband and I agree on that.... Read more
18 July 2016
News
More than nine in 10 adult women in Egypt have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). In rural Upper Egypt, Hoda Hamed is trying to end the practice. © UNFPA Egypt/Sima Diab
Local Egyptian heroine aims to end “huge” suffering caused by FGM
ASSIUT, Egypt – In her daily life, Hoda Hamed, is a quiet 37-year-old kindergarten teacher. But when she is off the clock, she is a force of nature. Ms. Hamed is an outspoken advocate for women and girls, working... Read more
17 June 2015
News
Huda (right) sits at a UNFPA-supported safe space in Alexandria, Egypt. She fled the violence in Syria three years ago and struggled to support herself. Now, she is working on behalf of other women refugees. Photo courtesy of Huda.
In Egypt, brave Syrian refugee promotes opportunities for women
CAIRO, Egypt – “Shake me from my sleep, whisper in my ear, tell me it was just a bad dream,” said Huda,* 22, explaining how it felt to become a refugee three years ago. Back home in Damascus, Syria, Huda had been a... Read more
13 August 2014
News
Syrian crisis takes heaviest toll on region’s women and girls
UNITED NATIONS, New York - The Syrian crisis continues to send shockwaves through the region, taking the heaviest toll on women and girls. Some 10.8 million people are affected by the emergency in Syria, including 432,... Read more
9 April 2014
News
Mapping a Sustainable Development Agenda for the 21st Century
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Twenty years ago in Cairo, the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) articulated a bold new vision that recognized the human rights... Read more
4 April 2014
News
Women, Girls Must Top Development Agenda
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Heads of State, dignitaries and other leaders participated today in a high-level debate at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, addressing the central role of human rights, dignity,... Read more
26 June 2013
In the News
UNFPA Reminds Islamists that Women’s Rights Bring Economic Benefit
CAIRO — Two decades of modest advances in women’s health and reproductive rights in the Middle East and north Africa have come under threat by conservative religious forces, the UN’s organisation promoting family... Read more
24 June 2013
News
A Platform for Voices of Arab Youth in a Critical Time
CAIRO -- Under the theme of 'Development Challenges and Population Dynamics in a Changing Arab Region', the Regional Population and Development Conference (24-26 June)  provides a platform for young people to be heard... Read more
12 February 2013
News
Hanging Out with Experts on Ending Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting
While the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM/C has been observed for over 20 years, 2013 was the first year of the day received official UN recognition. To mark the occasion, and to spread the word about... Read more

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