EU for Haya Karima

Background

Haya Karima, or “Decent Life”, is a national initiative led by the Government of Egypt to improve living conditions in targeted rural communities. The initiative brings together national institutions, civil society, the private sector and development partners to expand access to essential services and support more inclusive local development.

Within this national framework, the European Union is supporting efforts to improve access to quality health and social protection services in targeted communities. With EU funding, the ILO, UNICEF and WHO are working with the Government of Egypt and national partners to strengthen systems and services for people and communities facing vulnerability, including informal workers, families with children and retirees.

The ILO’s contribution focuses on strengthening social protection and supporting efforts to extend coverage to workers and families who may not yet have adequate access to protection. This includes technical support to national institutions, evidence-based policy dialogue, capacity building, and awareness-raising on rights, obligations and available services.

Through this work, the project contributes to Egypt’s efforts to build more inclusive and sustainable social protection systems, in line with SDG target 1.3 and ILO Recommendation No. 202 on Social Protection Floors.

What the project aims to achieve

The project will help strengthen Egypt’s social protection systems so that more people, especially informal workers and families in rural communities, can access services that support security, resilience and decent lives.

It will focus on six areas:

• Expanding access to quality services: Improve the reach, quality and responsiveness of social protection services in selected Haya Karima villages.
• Strengthening national institutions: Provide technical support, training and analysis to help national institutions improve the governance and financial sustainability of social protection systems.
• Informing evidence-based reforms: Generate evidence and support dialogue on social insurance, pensions and universal health coverage, with a focus on extending protection to informal workers.
• Improving support for families: Strengthen the ''Takaful and Karama'' cash transfer programme through capacity building, improved grievance mechanisms and stronger links with complementary services.
• Raising awareness and participation: Help workers, employers’ organizations, trade unions and community actors better understand and promote access to social protection.
• Advancing universal health coverage: Provide technical support to strengthen Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance system and explore ways to expand coverage for informal workers and people facing vulnerability.

Target beneficiaries

Informal workers, families with children, and retirees in selected Haya Karima villages.

Partners

Government of Egypt institutions, including:

• Ministry of Social Solidarity
• Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation
• National Organisation for Social Insurance
• Universal Health Insurance Authority
• Ministry of Health and Population
• Ministry of Finance
• Egypt Healthcare Authority

Together with workers’ and employers’ organizations, community-based organizations, UNICEF and WHO.