Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has met with Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women), during her current visit to Egypt.
Bahous’ visit coincided with the launch of a 16-day campaign to face violence against women in Egypt, under the slogan “Kony” (Be).
Ahmed Hafez, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said that Shoukry stressed that Egypt attaches great attention to promoting women’s rights in various fields and combating violence and harmful practices against them.
The minister also highlighted the unprecedented boom in various fields in Egypt and the launch of initiatives aimed at supporting women’s rights. He reviewed the Egyptian government’s efforts to empower women in various state bodies, which resulted in the rise of women’s representation in the Egyptian parliament to 25%.
For her part, Bahous praised Egypt’s efforts to empower women, noting that it chose Egypt as her first destination after assuming the leadership of UN Women because of its leading role in promoting women’s rights.
She also hailed Egypt’s active role in international and regional forums in support of women’s rights. She added that the UN Women looks forward to enhancing cooperation with the Egyptian government in the coming period.
