Where we work

Khadira, Kareem, Mahmoud, Sahar and Walid are some of the children in Cairo who regularly get services from Diakonias partner Hope Village Society. Photo: Aida Alibegovic.

Egypt

The beginning of 2011 saw the Egyptian people join in the trend of increasing demands for accountability and reforms in the Arab World. A broad protest movement led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak and after a period of interime military regime, the first democratic elections in sixty years were held.

The most populated country in the Arab region

But although the revolution has given people a lot of hope, many difficulties remain. With a population of 80 million people, Egypt is the most populated country in the Arab region. Despite its status as a middle income country, many suffer from widespread poverty, lack of employment possibilities and inequalities in society. Discrimination against women exists at all levels of society and violence against women is widespread.

A new political environment

The revolution in 2011 created a new political environment with a positive trend in social expression and a larger popular base for democratic demands in Egypt.

This is an opportunity for Egyptian civil-society organisations to ensure that the reforms integrate democratic and human-rights principles, that the change process comes from within, and that the space for civil-society contributions to policy-making in Egypt is enlarged.

Goal: To eradicate female genital mutilation

To achieve lasting improvement in people’s lives, Diakonia supports work carried out on different levels of Egyptian society by local civil-society organisations and our goals are related to promoting human rights, democracy and gender equality. Over the years of our presence in the country, Diakonia has identified three groups of rights holders who are particularly marginalized and oppressed: women, people with disabilities and children at risk. These groups represent areas in which Diakonia has significant expertise not only in Egypt but in the entire region. Together with our partner we are reaching out to homeless and working children, providing basic social and medical services. We provide support to our partners in empowering young girls and women both at local and national level to eradicate female genital mutilation and to reduce various forms of violence against women. Diakonia and partners now seek to support the democratisation and reform process that is ongoing in different ways.

Diakonia and BLACD working against Female genital mutilation (FGM)

The men are invloved in the abolishing of FGM

Men in the village Deir Sawada participating ain one of BLACD's trainings on the negative effects of FGM. Photo: Aida Alibegovic

Egypt’s National Demographic Statistics from 2005 unveiled that 96 percent of women in Egypt are mutilated. Diakonia’s stance is that this enormously high number can only be reduced by raising awareness and educating young girls, their parents, midwives, young men, religious leaders, etc. about the dreadful harms of FGM.

Since 2004 Diakonia has been supporting Better Life Association for Comprehensive Development (BLACD) to educate people living about the dangers of FGM.

Due to the efforts of BLACD and other civil society organizations the use of FGM has decreased dramatically. In 2008 as many as 88 percent of 1,500 targeted girls remained uncut.

Ghada Abdel Raouf jobbar i BLACDs projekt mot kvinnlig könsstympning

Ghada Abdel Raouf works with information about FGM within the Diakonia partner BLACD. Aida Burnett-Cargill

Story of change from Egypt

The "New Child Law" was approved in Egypt in June 2008. The law was a major change in the Egyptian legal context, as it was designed to ensure better social, educational, and medical care for people below the age of 18.

Diakonia’s partners in Egypt CEOSS, HVS, and BLACD were among many civil society organisations (CSOs) who worked hard lobbying for inclusion of some of the main issues incorporated into the new law.

Children's rights: The new child law in Egypt