Jacqueline Azer, Governor of Beheira, received, on Sunday, Canada's Ambassador-Designate to Egypt, Ulric Shannon, and a delegation from the Global Affairs Canada and United Nations organizations. The delegation visited Misr Public Library in Damnhour and met several participants of the Canada-funded "Rabeha" programme. This visit aimed at strengthening the partnership and international cooperation supporting Egyptian women, by presenting successful stories related to entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Egypt's Vision 2030. Rabeha – meaning "winner" in Arabic – is jointly run by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and UN Women Egypt. The joint programme is funded by Global Affairs Canada and is being implemented in partnership with the National Council for Women, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency. It aims at enhancing the economic well-being of at least 6,300 Egyptian women through increased access to employment and/or self-employment opportunities.
The delegation included Sharon Beck, Executive Director of the Middle East Development Program; Cindy McAlpine, Deputy Director; Nancy Odeh, Head of Cooperation at Embassy of Canada to Egypt; Marwa Alameldeen, UN Women Egypt Deputy Country Representative; Nora Rafea, Programme Specialist at UN Women Egypt and Mohamed Yacoub, Assistant Representative of FAO for Programmes in Egypt; Aly Hozayn, National Coordinator of the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Agrobiodiversity Project; and it took place in the presence of Zakia Rashad, Rapporteur of the National Council for Women (NCW) branch in Beheira. Azer emphasized the importance of the visit in strengthening international cooperation and highlighting the achievements of women in Beheira, aligning with Egypt's Vision 2030. She noted that Beheira, one of Egypt's largest agricultural governorates, also possesses promising industrial zones, offering sufficient opportunities for women's economic empowerment in both sectors. Azer also highlighted the success of the Canadian-funded "Rabeha" programme, which has been implemented since 2020, and expressed the governorate's keenness to replicate such initiatives. Azer also mentioned plans to establish comprehensive training centres in the industrial zone, tailored to the needs of factories and offering job opportunities to graduates of the Rabeha programme. Ambassador Shannon commented: "It is my pleasure to have Beheira as my first stop outside of Cairo on a field visit together with our brilliant women leaders from the Embassy of Canada and Global Affairs Canada who are leading on the management of Canada-funded sustainable development programs in Egypt. I enjoyed meeting the creative and committed beneficiaries of the Canada-funded Rabeha project from Beheira and Alexandria. This project focuses on women's economic empowerment in Egypt and is implemented by UN Women and UNIDO. When women can develop their full economic potential—whether as agricultural producers, employees, entrepreneurs or business leaders—economies thrive and the benefits of growth reach more people."
During the visit, Marwa Alameldeen, UN Women Egypt Deputy Country Representative, explained that the Rabeha programme, implemented in seven governorates, provides its services based on the needs of the targeted women and follows a monitoring and evaluation approach centred around continuous service improvement. She also highlighted that the programme has contributed to enhancing the economic livelihoods of more than 7,500 women in the targeted governorates, and it seeks to build the capacities of service providers in the employability and entrepreneurship sectors at the national level in partnership with the National Council for Women (NCW) and in cooperation with development partners. Zakia Rashad, Rapporteur of the National Council for Women in Beheira, emphasized that the Rabeha programme will continue working on providing workshops to develop the personal skills of women in the governorate to empower them and increase their employability chances. She also highlighted the importance of offering training courses for women to enhance their skills and capabilities, including introducing them to the basics of digital marketing, which helps them secure job opportunities in various companies and sectors and empower them economically. Zakia expressed her pride in the efforts made by "Rabeha" participants in Beheira Governorate, praising the quality of the products that were displayed at the exhibition that was held on the sidelines of the visit. During the day, the delegation had a tour of Rabeha's exhibition, in which participants showcased various products, including handicrafts, cosmetics, plant-based dairy products, interactive books for children, electronic programs, and other services. In addition, interactive dialogue sessions were held with Rabeha's entrepreneurs and job seekers, where they shared their success stories, the challenges they faced in their various projects, and the different stages they went through in their professional journeys. They discussed how the Rabeha programme contributed to enhancing their skills to build and expand their businesses, access decent jobs, and advance in their careers. The Rabeha programme provides a tailored package of services required by various stakeholders in the Egyptian labour market by offering opportunities for capacity development and growth for women job seekers and entrepreneurs, private sector companies, and investors, in cooperation with government institutions and labour market actors.
