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Arab Finance: Egypt and Canada have signed three new development projects worth approximately EGP 552 million to empower women and girls and enhance food security, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation.
The agreements were signed by Egyptian Minister of Planning Rania Al-Mashat and Canadian Ambassador to Egypt Ulric Shannon, as part of ongoing cooperation between the two governments.
One of the newly signed agreements focuses on providing comprehensive support for refugee women and girls in Egypt.
The project aims to strengthen protection and social inclusion, particularly for the most vulnerable groups, by improving living conditions and facilitating access to essential services and protection mechanisms.
It also promotes gender equality and complements existing national efforts to empower women.
The project is being implemented through the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Aswan, Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Damietta.
The two sides also signed the project of Food for the Future: Empowering Women through a Comprehensive Approach to Maternal and Girls’ Nutrition in Egypt.
The initiative seeks to improve nutrition and healthcare outcomes for mothers, girls, and children, while strengthening coordination among relevant ministries.
It also supports education and training programs, including EGY CAN, by enhancing the capacity of local communities to improve nutrition, contributing to the long-term social and economic sustainability of beneficiaries.
The project is being implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Population across several governorates, including Assiut, Qena, Sohag, Sharqia, Gharbia, Beheira, Cairo, and Giza.
A third agreement was signed for the Masarat project, which focuses on empowering women and adolescent girls in Upper Egypt.
The initiative aligns with the women’s empowerment pillar of the Canadian cooperation portfolio by promoting gender equality and improving access to reproductive health services.
It supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and builds on existing efforts by targeting younger age groups and strengthening the capacity of local communities to deliver services more effectively.
The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Population, in collaboration with the National Council for Women, in Assiut and Minya.
Speaking at the signing, Al-Mashat praised the strength of Egyptian-Canadian relations and the shared interests between the two countries across multiple sectors.
She added that the projects reflect the integration of planning and international cooperation mechanisms to support comprehensive development in Egypt.
Al-Mashat highlighted the broader Canadian cooperation portfolio in Egypt, noting that total funding prior to the signing of the new projects stood at approximately CAD 40 million, equivalent to around EGP 1.4 billion.
