Egypt and Canada have signed three new grant-funded projects worth about 552 million Egyptian pounds aimed at empowering women and girls and strengthening food security, Egyptian Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation said Wednesday. The agreements were signed by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat and Canada's Ambassador to Egypt Ulric Shannon. Al-Mashat said the projects reflect the depth of Egyptian-Canadian relations and Canada's continued support for Egypt's development priorities, noting that the new agreements align planning and international cooperation efforts to advance sustainable and inclusive growth. She said Canada's active cooperation portfolio in Egypt amounted to around 40 million Canadian dollars (1.4 billion pounds) before the signing of the new projects, covering women's empowerment, health, education, economic development and climate-smart agriculture. The projects are implemented across Upper Egypt, the Nile Delta and major cities, including Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Damietta. One of the projects will provide comprehensive support to refugee women and girls in Egypt, focusing on protection, social integration and improved access to services for the most vulnerable groups. The project will be implemented by the UN refugee agency UNHCR in Aswan, Greater Cairo, Alexandria and Damietta. The two sides also signed a nutrition project aimed at improving maternal, adolescent and child nutrition through a comprehensive approach that strengthens healthcare services, promotes inter-ministerial coordination and builds local community capacity. The project will be implemented by UNICEF and Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population in several governorates, including Assiut, Qena, Sohag, Sharkia, Gharbia, and Beheira, as well as Cairo and Giza. A third project will focus on empowering adolescent girls and young women in Upper Egypt by promoting gender equality and improving access to reproductive health services. The initiative will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and Population and the National Council for Women in Assiut and Minya. Al-Mashat said the projects complement ongoing programmes and contribute to Egypt's efforts to achieve sustainable development goals. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
