How Egypt’s labour inspectors protect factories on ground

When Dr. Mona El Dardir traded her lab coat in medical analysis for an occupational safety field vest, she did not know she was about to shift careers or save lives in the process. With a PhD in microbiology, Mona was used to the quietness of laboratory equipment but when a government initiative placed her in the Egyptian Ministry of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) department as a Researcher, everything changed.

“I didn’t have the tools or background to succeed in this field at first” Mona recalls. However, it was in a garment factory equipped with ILO guidance and tools on labour standards that her work began to feel important and impactful. She noticed a young worker using an electric cutting machine without protective gloves. Instead of confronting him, she waited until he finished, then approached with empathy.

“You’re very talented, but to protect your talent, you have to protect your hands. If something happens, you lose your hands, your job, and we lose you."

Weeks later, she saw him again, this time wearing gloves. He smiled and said, "Since that day, I haven’t worked without them."

"Change doesn’t always come from enforcement. Sometimes it comes from connection. It’s not just a job. It’s a mission to protect lives", says Mona.

Change doesn’t always come from enforcement. Sometimes it comes from connection. It’s not just a job. It’s a mission to protect lives.

Mona El Dardir, Researcher at the Egyptian Ministry of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department

Mona is one of many inspectors working to improve workplace culture across Egypt, helping to implement and uphold labour and OSH standards, from promoting fair wages to ensuring fire safety, proper use of protective equipment, more decent and inclusive workplaces for all.

© ILO

© ILO

Through initiatives supported by the ILO’s Better Work Egypt (BWEg) programme and the ETEL Egypt project "Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Small Industries and on the Streets by Supporting the Implementation of the National Action Plan in Egypt” — funded by Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) — a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) programme was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour. This initiative equips inspectors like Mona with both the tools and the mindset to engage not only as enforcers, but also as educators and partners in change.

In 2023, a tripartite meeting brought together the Ministry of Labour, the Federation of Egyptian Industries, and trade union representatives to examine evidence-based assessments from the garment sector. These assessments, conducted by BWEg programme, identified critical gaps in compliance related to labour and OSH standards.

Rather than stopping at diagnosis, the tripartite group collaborated to co-develop practical tools in 2024: simple, accessible leaflets on labour standards and OSH principles. Mona played an active role in the process of drafting the tools, helping shape materials that now form the foundation of the inspectors’ work. As a result of these efforts, OSH non-compliance rates have already improved, declining from 64 per cent in 2023 to 61.5 per cent in 2024, according to BWEg assessments.

© ILO

© ILO

In 2025, the first phase of the training-of-trainers programme was launched in Egypt’s Ismalia governorate. Inspectors were introduced to the technical content of the newly developed tools. A second phase, launched in Alexandria, piloted the delivery of these tools via digital learning platforms.

By June 2025, OSH and labour inspectors delivered the factory-level training webinars using the validated tools.

Looking ahead, the tools and training developed through this initiative will expand beyond Better Work Egypt-registered factories to include non-registered establishments and additional industrial sectors. The goal is ambitious but clear: to strengthen Egypt’s labour inspection system in ways that promote decent work, sustainable development, and a safer, more inclusive economy for all.

Better Work Egypt has truly transformed how I approach my work, providing me not only with the technical tools but also the mindset to engage factories as partners, not just subjects of inspection. It’s empowering to see that our work is helping create safer workplaces and a culture of care that goes beyond regulations.

Mona El Dardir, Researcher at the Egyptian Ministry of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department