Egypt affirmed on Tuesday its determination to continue efforts to promote civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights in parallel with the advancement of the status of women, the protection of the rights of children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the empowerment of youths. This came in Egypt's statement before the 73rd session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights held in Banjul, Gambia, by Wael Nasr Eddine Attiya — Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights — where he reviewed the efforts to implement the National Human Rights Strategy in partnership with civil society. He said that capacity-building and awareness-raising are the main pillars of the strategy, which seeks to spread a culture of human rights alongside legislative and institutional development. He also addressed the many initiatives launched by the government to improve the standard of living of Egyptian citizens, foremost of which is the Decent Life presidential initiative, which covers more than 4,500 villages inhabited by about 58% of the population at a cost of about $45bn. Additionally, Attiya asserted that education, health insurance, and social housing projects have been developed to eliminate slums, provide adequate housing, clean drinking water, and sanitation. The statement also highlighted the priority that Egypt attaches to the empowerment of women, which is reflected in the continuing efforts to achieve gender equality in the workplace Furthermore, Attiya noted the ongoing efforts to achieve financial inclusion for women and to combat violence and discrimination against them, whether through relevant legislative amendments or community awareness campaigns.
