The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in partnership with UN Women, has commenced skills empowerment training for Egyptian women.

Development Diaries reports that the joint programme, tagged  ‘Rabeha’, aims to help break the barriers women in Egypt face in accessing formal employment.

It is understood that only 21 percent of Egypt’s working-age women are participating in the economy, compared to 75 percent of men.

This lack of inclusivity has left many women feeling discouraged from seeking employment altogether.

A 2021 report by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) revealed that Egypt ranked 129th out of 156 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index.

The report further revealed that the country also ranked 146th out of 156 countries in women’s economic participation and opportunity.

The Rabeha programme kicked off on 14 May, the first in a series of employability skills training targeting 1,000 women from the governorates of Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef and Minya.

‘During the training and one-to-one coaching sessions, women jobseekers gain essential work skills – such as communications, personal branding, teamwork, time and stress management, problem-solving, email etiquette, conflict and negotiations, CV-writing and interviewing skills’, a statement by UN Egypt read.

Participants, it was also gathered, would work alongside career development and job-placement specialists who support them in improving their profile and applying for professional jobs.

The goal of the Rabeha programme is to support the economic empowerment of more than 6,300 women in seven governorates through increased access to employment and or self-employment opportunities.

Photo source: UN Egypt