Mrs Suzanne Mubarak says women deserve more attention for their economic power. Reem Leila reports In the first ever celebration of Women's Labour Day, which fell on 17 May, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, head of the National Council for Women (NCW), spoke about the largely unrecognised economic power of women "who are a pillar of the family unit and society as a whole." Speaking at NCW's headquarters, Mrs Mubarak said when women are empowered economically, they are a driving force in improving the lives of their families, communities and nation. The address was attended by Labour Force Minister Aisha Abdel-Hadi and NCW Secretary-General Farkhonda Hassan. Micro projects are ideal as a tool to alleviate poverty and a sound investment in human capital, Mrs Mubarak said. As such, a national campaign sponsored by the NCW, civil society organisations and NGOs was launched in order to reach out to many economically-challenged women. Mrs Mubarak noted that Egyptian women perform multiple roles in paid and unpaid labour, but that this was not reflected in official statistics of economic activity. Similar to their peers in other developing countries, Egyptian women typically produce more than 60 per cent of the food. Women's access to equal pay for comparable work, family benefits, financial credit and the right to own and inherit property are either non-existent or sharply limited by law and traditional practices. While many of these inequalities have been addressed, the NCW continues to work on eliminating them altogether. "There is a growing consensus that without the advancement of women, development will be stalled as a result of unworkable and outdated strategies for change," said Mrs Mubarak. In working towards improving the status of women, decision-makers must recognise the unique opportunity the NCW offers to prioritise economic equality between the sexes on Egypt's national agenda. This is not only because equality enhances the status of women and encourages overall progress, but because economic progress would not be possible otherwise. In Egypt, new generations of women and women's organisations are playing an important role in social, political and economic change. According to Abel-Hadi, the empowerment of women and community should go hand in hand. Egyptian women, she said, are struggling for equal rights within the household, the economy, and labour market. "This struggle hinders the entire development process," she said, suggesting that self- employment and entrepreneurship are important avenues to improve women's chances in the labour market. Although gradually on the rise, the number of successful female entrepreneurs remains relatively small. "The number of women entrepreneurs has increased from 9.1 per cent of the labour force in 1981 to 24 per cent in 2004," stated Abdel-Hadi. But figures are not the only concern; the goal is to obliterate policy which has for decades instituted inequality and injustice against women. In recent years, policy has slightly shifted to encourage and protect the political, social and economic rights of women. But civil society and NGOs must continue their role in preparing, implementing and evaluating policy priorities and programmes with regards to women's needs. Abdel-Hadi said he believed the role of women in redefining the labour market will probably be their most substantive contribution. "A woman is a good credit risk, and as a business leader, benefits family members more directly than would a man heading an enterprise." Hassan noted that by earning an income, women can achieve a higher status in their homes and communities. The NCW continues to work jointly with the government and NGOs towards improving the status of women in the labour force. "The council's mission is to give prominence to women's issues and rights [since they] are the cornerstone of modern society," said Hassan. The NCW has created many micro projects to help women in general, the poor in particular, giving them financial self-sufficiency and assisted funding. The NCW also works on ensuring that women obtain access to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of credit on a basis identical to that of men. "There is an emphasis on overcoming women's poverty," Hassan said. "Hence, the need for mechanisms to manage limited resources and keep them sustainable." He added that in order for women to play a vital role in social and economic development, equality between men and women must be achieved. Once this happens, "it is certain to raise overall family income."
