CASAR Students Academic field trip to Asmarat Women’s Shelter and Counseling Center

An academic field trip to Asmarat Women’s Shelter and Counseling Center for the AMST 1099 undergraduate students at the Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR).
Yasmeen El-Ghazaly, Adjunct Professor escorted the undergraduate class taking a course under the Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies & Research (CASAR) at the School of GAPP to the Asmarat Women’s Shelter and Counseling Center which is part of the Asmarat Center for Integrated Services. This entire facility is fully established under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity.

The visit concludes an integral theme in the taught course AMST 1099 Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt and the US which discusses the global role of NGOs in raising awareness about all aspects of feminism and how the different NGOs in Egypt particularly work to help end violence against women. More importantly, it significantly highlighted the immense efforts made by H.E. Nivin El Qabbaj the Minister of Social Solidary to combat the various forms of abuse against women in Egypt with the unprecedented support of the government under the leadership of his Excellency President El Sisi in empowering women at all levels, especially noting that these shelters and service centers are 100% funded by the government, unlike some similar facilities in North America by comparison.

This trip provided essential much-needed insights to the experiences of other Egyptian women basically struggling to simply protect themselves and their children and see how the government is fully supporting them throughout several channels as very kindly explained by Ms. Jacquline Mamdouh the General Manager of the Women’s Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Social Solidarity in the discussion panel conducted prior to the tour the class was given of the entire facility. The Integrated Services Center not only provides basic living conditions to the women who need shelter, it's also part of a complete rehabilitation cycle teaching women a certain craft or help in starting up a small business, finish their education, help with illiteracy, help with medical assistance needed even so they can attempt to move on independently after they leave the shelter.

This timely visit was strategically scheduled within the 16 global days designated by the UN Secretary General in 2008 (campaign titled UNiTE) to spread global awareness on eliminating violence against women. It also coincides with the initiative launched by the Ministry of Social Solidarity under the title ‘Hold the beginning of the thread and be a part of the decision – امسكوا طرف الخيط وشاركوا في القرار’ which raises awareness about the different forms of violence against women and how to be a part in deciding how to change this culture in Egypt.