CAIRO – Gender equality is not just a social imperative, but also an economic necessity, said Egypt’s Planning and Economic Development Minister Hala El Said.
Empowering women is key to increasing economic growth, added the minister during her participation in the opening of a symposium on global evidence for digital financial services, savings groups, and their impact on women’s empowerment.
Bridging the gender gap is a vital part of any strategy aiming to create more sustainable and inclusive economies and societies, she further said.
The minister, meanwhile, said that women’s economic empowerment occurs when they have access to the skills, resources, and institutions needed to participate equally in existing markets.
Talking about financial inclusion, the minister said that digital services provide new avenues for the economic empowerment of women.
The minister further reviewed Egypt’s experiment in improving the status of women, adding that women’s empowerment and gender equality are an essential part of Egypt’s Vision 2030.
The National Management Institute (NMI), the executive arm of the Planning and Economic Development Ministry, launched the “She for digital future” national initiative to bridge the digital gap between women and men, said the minister.
The initiative offered training for 2,000 women until now and is expected to see 8,000 more being trained by the end of 2022, she added.
