The United States and Egypt Partner to End Violence Against Women and Girls
The U.S. Embassy in Cairo is proud to announce the five-year Ending Violence Against Women and Girls initiative, implemented in close collaboration with our partners in the Government of Egypt. This initiative, funded with an initial investment of $9.7 million through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will prevent and respond to violence against women and girls through a partnership with CARE, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN Women.
Violence against women and girls is a challenge that all countries face. This initiative will build on the shared Egyptian and American value of honoring the dignity of all people by working toward the full equality of women and girls in our societies. This important work will advance Egyptian efforts to expand women and girls’ participation in society, promote economic and social empowerment, counter all forms of violence, prevent child marriage, and work to end female genital mutilation and cutting. It reflects Government of Egypt priorities and existing efforts, including the Hayah Karima Initiative, the National Family Development Program, and Egypt’s National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030.
The U.S. Government has partnered with Egypt for decades to support the empowerment of women and girls. Previous collaborations raised awareness of violence prevention efforts and increased access to services for survivors of violence. USAID assisted the establishment of Egypt’s nationwide referral system to connect survivors with resources for healing and support and prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The number of women and girls accessing these services yearly increased from approximately 1,000 in 2015 to nearly 90,000 in 2021.
The Ending Violence Against Women and Girls initiative will build upon and expand the U.S. Government’s longstanding partnerships with Government of Egypt ministries, public international organizations, civil society organizations, universities, religious leaders, media, and others.