Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy speaks during a side event on the sidelines of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the human rights records of United Nations member states in Geneva - Cabinet
CAIRO – 26 January 2025: Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy shed light on Egypt’s socio-economic progress as she chaired a side event on the sidelines of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the human rights records of United Nations member states in Geneva, Switzerland.
In a historic gathering, the minister joined forces with chairs of the national rights councils—the National Council for Women (NCW), the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM), and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD).
The meeting saw global attendance with Egypt preparing to have its human rights record examined by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s UPR Working Group for the fourth time on Tuesday (January 28) in Geneva.
In her opening remarks, Morsy stressed that this meeting with national rights councils underscores the strong partnership between the Egyptian government and these independent bodies.
SOCIAL SOLIDARITY
The minister emphasized that the Egyptian Constitution stipulates that “society is based on social solidarity, and the state is committed to achieving social justice and providing means of social solidarity, in a way that guarantees a decent life for all citizens.”
She outlined how the framework of social and economic rights in Egypt encompasses essential rights, including the right to work, as well as social security, education, health, and housing rights.
Furthermore, Morsy highlighted Egypt’s cohesive strategic framework, which aligns with the goals of sustainable development. This framework is embodied in Egypt’s Vision 2030, the National Strategy for Population, the Women’s Strategy, and the National Strategy for Human Rights.
Morsy highlighted that despite facing complex economic challenges, geopolitical pressures, and regional conflicts, Egypt has made significant strides in the socio-economic field.
She highlighted substantial infrastructure development across Egypt, including advancements in transportation, energy, urban development, economic and administrative reforms, as well as efforts to expand social safety nets and improve access to healthcare and education.
The government is actively addressing inequalities to ensure that the benefits of development reach all segments of society, the minister added.
Morsy highlighted Article 17 of the Constitution, which guarantees social insurance services, stating that every citizen not covered by the social insurance system has the right to social security.
Recently, the Egyptian Parliament approved a new Social Insurance and Pensions Law introduced by the government, marking a transformative shift in Egypt's social protection system.
This law aims to provide a comprehensive and sustainable safety net, redefining social assistance as a social right, the minister said.
The law’s provisions expand the beneficiary base, enhances the sustainability and governance of cash assistance, and focuses on poverty alleviation through economic empowerment.
Additionally, the law strengthens social protection for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, heads of households, and persons with disabilities, ensuring social justice and financial sustainability.
It also enhances social protection for the elderly, female heads of households, and persons with disabilities to ensure social justice and financial sustainability. The law fights early marriage and female genital mutilation with specific penalties.
Morsy spotlighted the state’s increase of public spending on social protection programs to LE 635.9 billion in the fiscal year 2024/2025. These programs cover food support, social and health insurance, social housing, and cash transfers.
In this regard, the Takaful and Karama program, the largest conditional cash program in the region, aims to improve the living conditions of the poorest families. Beneficiaries have increased to 4.7 million families besides 500,000 families supported in cooperation with the civil society, totalling 22 million individuals in 2024 at a cost of LE 41 billion.
Through economic empowerment initiatives, 1.3 million families benefited from renewable capital totaling about LE 5 billion, with women making up over 70% of the recipients, from 2014-2024.
The minister highlighted the issuance of the Social Insurance and Pensions Law No. 148/2019 to develop and digitize social insurance systems and guarantee rights for workers in the informal sector.
SUPPORTING THE VULNERABLE
Additionally, the “Aman” certificate, launched in 2018, primarily provides insurance protection for seasonal and informal workers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government allocated LE 6.261 billion to support irregular workers, providing LE 500 in six installments to those affected. A fund was also established to safeguard irregular workers against various risks.
Between January 2023 and July 2024, the government created over 14,000 job opportunities for people with disabilities.
To enhance financial access, the Egyptian state is working on a financial alliance that leverages both technological and non-technological infrastructures, aiming to establish 4,000 financial outlets across all governorates, Morsy said.
This initiative is set to benefit around 5 million participants.
EMPOWERING FAMILIES
The minister emphasized that Egypt is actively promoting sustainable development through family-oriented policies.
These initiatives aim to empower families economically and socially, enhance their quality of life, and strengthen cohesion and stability. The goals include reducing poverty, improving living standards, empowering women, enhancing maternal and child health, increasing school enrollment rates, ending violence against women and children, and fostering family unity.
In recent years, Egypt has made significant progress in transitioning children deprived of family care from institutional settings to family-based care. This shift has seen around 20,000 children placed in 19,800 foster families.
CARING FOR SENIORS
Furthermore, Egypt has enacted the Elderly Rights Care Law No. 19/2024, marking a significant advancement in the protection and care of the senior individuals. Current efforts are focused on drafting internal regulations.
Currently, there are 176 nursing homes providing social care for around 4,700 elderly beneficiaries. The country has also established 190 clubs that serve around 56,000 elderly individuals. Also, around 524,623 seniors now benefit from the Karama cash support program.
COMPREHENSIVE CARE
The government is also committed to supporting the homeless, operating 22 care institutions and shelters that assist 722 elderly beneficiaries.
In partnership with national agencies, Egypt has developed a pre-marriage platform that has trained 1.2 million young men and women, reaching over 5 million beneficiaries.
This platform aims to enhance knowledge about marital skills, prevent domestic violence, and counter harmful practices against women and girls.
COMBATING ADDICTION
Morsy noted that Egypt’s Fund for Drug Control and Treatment of Addiction (FDCTA) serves as the national mechanism for reducing drug demand through high-quality, evidence-based prevention and treatment services, aligned with a human rights-based approach.
Recently, Egypt launched the 2024–2028 National Strategy for Combating Drugs and Reducing Addiction Risks under the auspices of the Egyptian President, collaborating with relevant governmental and non-governmental agencies, Morsy remarked.
Egypt also established a youth network of over 34,000 volunteers to participate in prevention and awareness programs, implement evidence-based prevention guides in 10,000 schools, 26 universities, and 1,000 youth centers, and launch media campaigns that have reached 76 million viewers through digital platforms.
Comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation services have been made available through 34 medical centers, adhering to international standards, benefiting more than 170,000 individuals struggling with addiction.
These efforts include a social integration program for recovering addicts that is rooted in a human rights approach to combat social stigma.
COLLABORATION ON ECONOMY
Morsy underlined the ongoing economic challenges facing the nation, stressing Egypt’s dedication to holding global partnerships to expedite sustainable and comprehensive economic growth.
“We acknowledge the ongoing economic challenges and remain committed to enhancing our economic performance,” the minister said. “We recognize the importance of international cooperation and are actively seeking partnerships with international organizations, including UN agencies, and other development partners to leverage expertise, share best practices, and accelerate progress toward sustainable and inclusive economic growth.”
The minister stated that the country primarily focuses on increasing investments in start-ups, improving access to finance, and cultivating a supportive environment for innovation.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
“There is still much work to be done, particularly in increasing women’s participation in the workforce,” Morsy said.
She highlighted the decades-long efforts to change mindsets and raise awareness about various human rights issues through arts and drama, which have proven to be effective tools for awareness-raising.
“This is not merely a checkbox exercise, but rather a long-term commitment to building upon these efforts,” the minister stressed.
Counselor Amal Ammar, President of the National Council for Women, affirmed that Egypt has made significant strides in promoting women's rights in recent years, fueled by strong political will and robust constitutional support.
From 2019 to 2024, a series of legislative measures were enacted, comprising 19 pivotal laws and 16 administrative decisions aimed at enhancing women's rights, Ammar said.
These measures include increased penalties for crimes such as sexual harassment, bullying, and female genital mutilation, as well as the allocation of a percentage of seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the NCW chief said.
Consequently, women now hold the highest parliamentary representation in their history, with 27% in the House of Representatives and 14% in the Senate, while guaranteeing representation at the boards of directors of companies and banks, the NCW chief added.
She shed light on the improvement in Egypt’s ranking in the women's political empowerment index by 47 global positions.
SUPPORTING CHILDREN
Sahar El-Sonbaty, President of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, highlighted Egypt's substantial efforts to enforce and promote children's rights with around 39.5 million children in the country, according to the data released by the official statistical agency CAPMAS last November.
Sonbaty emphasized that the Egyptian state is taking decisive steps to build a modern civil society while adhering to international commitments.
The government is continuously updating and refining legislation, institutions, policies, and practices to respond to national changes and comply with international and regional human rights agreements, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Regarding the protection of non-Egyptian children, she stated that the Egyptian government guarantees access to education and health services for asylum-seeking, refugee, and migrant children.
EMPOWERING THE DISABLED
Eman Karim, General Supervisor of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, presented a report on the council's initiatives, particularly in the area of social empowerment.
Through a dedicated initiative, the NCPD has enhanced the capacities of 2,600 families of persons with disabilities across various governorates, providing specialized training in psychological support and family counseling.
In education, the NCPD has implemented an inclusive education approach for teachers, training about 3,000 educators nationwide.
The council also established support systems in regular schools that have benefited over 5,000 students with disabilities and organized awareness seminars for 1,000 faculty members on effective communication strategies with these students.
Karim also highlighted the NCPD’s efforts in promoting political participation during the 2024 Presidential Elections by raising awareness among thousands of participants and providing Braille ballot cards and sign language translation.
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