Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat has said that the "Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator" was established by her ministry in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the National Council for Women (NCW). It is the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East, pointing out that the accelerator aims to bridge gender gaps in the labour market. This came during her speech at the ministerial session titled "Iconic Success of an Egyptian Woman... A Minister's Journey" at the Top 50 Women Forum's second edition, organized by NCW, under the slogan "Empower Women to Empower Egypt". This session also featured Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development; Hisham Amna, Minister of Local Development; Soha El-Gendi, Minister of Immigration; and Mohamed Farid Saleh, Chairperson of the Financial Regulatory Authority. Al-Mashat referred to the efforts made by the Ministry of International Cooperation, in partnership with development partners, to implement the various strategies and visions of the Government of Egypt, pointing out that there are 3 main factors that are taken into account: comprehensiveness to ensure stimulation of efforts to empower women, youth and girls, the green transformation and the digital transformation. Al-Mashat explained that the launch of the "Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator" reflects government efforts and Egypt's commitment to ensure that women play their role in development by being economically empowered; thus building back better and promoting sustainable growth, within the platform with the Ministry, NCW, WEF, private sector and civil society. She drew attention to the role played by Egypt's partnerships through international cooperation to enhance development efforts in all sectors, especially in small and medium enterprises, education, health and social protection. Moreover, the minister stressed that the social inclusion pillar is a major axis in joint strategies with development partners; in line with the country's priorities and efforts, which are implemented in partnership with the private sector, national entities, civil society organizations and all relevant stakeholders. The Minister drew attention to the programs created between Egypt and multilateral and bilateral development partners, as they are characterized by competitiveness and built on the country's expertise in development experiences, project formulation, clarity in presentation and vision, as well as a careful approach to governance to understand the requirements and standards of each development partner. Within the activities of the summit Al-Mashat and EU Ambassador Christian Berger presented "CEO Gender Equality Awards" for their significant role in the commitment to transforming the business and professional environment towards a culture of leadership, inclusivity and improved workplaces. It is worth noting that Al-Mashat visited several development programs in cooperation with the UN in Minya, Alexandria and Aswan, among many of which are centred around the economic and social empowerment of women, especially in heritage protection, health care, agricultural and rural development, and entrepreneurship.
