Employment and Knowledge Exchange Forum Supports Rabeha Graduates

The forum provided beneficiaries from Cairo, Giza and Fayoum with an opportunity to meet directly with representatives of participating companies and organizations, learn about the needs and requirements of the labor market, and apply for available employment opportunities through interviews.

The forum also featured a panel discussion on women’s economic empowerment, bringing together representatives of participating organizations to exchange ideas and experiences and discuss key issues related to women’s participation in the labor market, as well as the role of the private sector in supporting employment opportunities and economic growth.

During the panel discussion, Mohamed Fahmy Menza, senior director of GAPP Executive Education, emphasized that addressing the employment challenges facing women in Egypt goes beyond providing training or implementing activities that conclude at the end of a program. Rather, it is part of addressing one of the key development challenges facing Egyptian society. He also highlighted the important role of the private sector in providing employment opportunities while contributing to creating an enabling environment for employment and sustainable growth for businesses and the private sector as a whole.

Nora Rafea, representing UN Women Egypt, highlighted the partnerships established through the Rabeha Program as one of its key strengths. She emphasized the importance of sustaining these partnerships, noting that the conclusion of one phase of the program can also mark the beginning of a new phase of collaboration and joint efforts. She also expressed her appreciation for The American University in Cairo (AUC) as one of the program’s key implementing partners, particularly in the area of training for employment.

Susan Sedky, representing the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS), highlighted several important lessons and experiences gained through the implementation of the program, including the importance of ensuring the quality of training provided to graduates to better prepare them for participation in the labor market and to benefit from available employment opportunities.

Mai Mahmoud, representing the National Council for Women, and Eman Mohamed, rapporteur of the National Council for Women in Fayoum, also highlighted the quality of the training provided through the program and emphasized its important role in supporting participants, increasing women’s participation in the labor market, and expanding their access to employment opportunities.

The forum was held as part of the joint program between UN Women Egypt and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with the National Council for Women and the Ministry of Industry, with the support of the Government of Canada, represented by the Embassy of Canada in Egypt. The forum was jointly organized by The American University in Cairo (AUC) and the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS).