ILO empowers Egyptian women entrepreneurs for a just transition and green economy

Cairo, Egypt (ILO news)- As part of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) ADWA’ project, a dynamic workshop titled “Enhancing Policies for a Just Transition with a Focus on Women’s Entrepreneurship Development” brought together nearly 50 participants from 25 entities, including government bodies, employers, workers organizations, women entrepreneurs’ networks, academia and developmental agencies.

The hybrid workshop, was co-organized by the ILO and the Environmental Compliance and Sustainable Development Office of the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI). Within the framework of the “Advancing the Decent Work Agenda in North Africa” (ADWA) project, a partnership between the ILO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the event aimed to discuss the crucial role women entrepreneurs play in driving a gender-responsive just transition towards a green economy in Egypt.
It also sought to validate the findings and recommendations of a rapid situational analysis report on the employment-environment-gender equality nexus.

Challenges and opportunities in the green economy

The transition to a green economy presents both challenges and opportunities for Egypt. Women entrepreneurs, often overlooked, are powerful agents of change and innovation in this process. However, they face unique barriers, including limited access to finance and markets, hindering their full labour participation. Through presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, participants explored strategies to unlock women’s entrepreneurship potential in labour participation and advancing a just transition.

Setting the scene from global to national priorities

The workshop was inaugurated by Mr. Eric Oechslin, Director of the ILO Cairo Office, and Eng. Ahmed Kamal Abd El-Moniem, Executive Director of the Environmental Compliance and Sustainable Development Office at FEI. They highlighted the importance of collaboration among national and international stakeholders to achieve a green economy that is fair and inclusive, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind.

Ms. Sara Andersson, Technical Officer on Women’s Entrepreneurship Development at the ILO Geneva, and Ms. Mette Grangaard Lund, Specialist on Just Transition at the ILO Decent Work Team in Beirut provided an overview of the ILO’s work in Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Just Transition. They emphasized the importance of investing in gender- responsive just transition, referencing the 2015 Guidelines for a just transition and the 2023 Resolution adopted by the International Labour Conference (ILC).

Exploring the employment-environment-gender equality nexus in Egypt

The first session featured Ms. Callie Ham, ILO International Consultant and Mrs. Marwa Hussein, National Consultant, who presented the main findings, objectives, methodology, and recommendations of the rapid situational analysis (RSA) of the employment-environment-gender equality nexus in Egypt, focusing on the agriculture, renewable energy and waste management sectors. This was followed by an engaged discussion with participants, whose feedback was incorporated into the final report.

Women as agents of change for a greener future

The second session was a panel discussion, moderated by Mrs. Marwa Hussein, featuring national experts, practitioners and policymakers: Dr. Omima Mohamed Sawan, Former President of the Institute of Agricultural and Biological Research Center and Advisor on Agricultural Waste Management to the Ministry of Environment; Ms. Angy Elyamany, Family Development Programme Coordinator and Director of Financial and Digital Inclusion at the National Council of Women (NCW); Eng. Hoda Shakra, Senior Consultant of Industry and External Relations at the Digital Egypt Generations initiative at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and E-waste Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Environment; Ms. Nashwa Habib, Entrepreneurship and Networks Senior advisor at the Tiye Angels Investment Network. The panellists welcomed the report’s findings and highlighted the need for data-driven policy discussions. They presented ongoing initiatives on women’s entrepreneurship development in fostering a just transition in Egypt and stressed the need for a coordinated policy dialogue to create synergies and capitalize on shared experiences.

Key findings and next steps

The workshop concluded with remarks by Ms. Hend Mohamed Safaa Eldin, Director of the Labour Market Information Unit at the Ministry of Labour, and Ms. Valentina Verze, Enterprise Development and Job Creation Specialist at the ILO Cairo office. They stated that the final report, incorporating the workshop’s conclusions, will serve as a critical resource for policymakers and stakeholders working towards a just transition in Egypt.