USAID is working in partnership with the Egyptian people and government to promote economic stability and inclusive development in Egypt through more effective public institutions and deeper engagement with civil society. Our inclusive governance work focuses on increasing the accountability and efficiency of public institutions and reducing barriers to economic and social participation for women and marginalized communities. Together with our Egyptian partners, USAID strengthens governance systems, combats corruption, supports public sector automation, promotes women's social and economic empowerment, prevents violence against women, and supports COVID-19 relief efforts. Our activities support comprehensive socioeconomic reform efforts to improve Egypt’s investment climate and foster economic growth for the benefit of all Egyptians.
PROGRAMS
ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE ACTIVITY: USAID’s Economic Governance Activity (EGA) supports Egyptian reforms to increase the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of public institutions and the civil service. Through EGA, USAID partners with both the public and private sector to combat corruption, develop a more competitive economy, and create an enabling environment for public and private investment. USAID also supports the Government of Egypt’s digitalization plan to introduce advanced information technology applications in public service delivery systems. Working in these areas will encourage economic development, reduce opportunities for corruption, and make government services faster, more reliable, and accessible to all Egyptians. Through EGA, USAID partners with key Egyptian institutions including the Administrative Control Authority, the Central Agency for Organization and Administration, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, and the National Council for Women to streamline administrative processes, reduce barriers to economic investment, increase transparency, and ensure full inclusion of women in the labor force.
Implementing Partner: DAI; Life of Project: August 2020 – July 2025; Total Estimated Cost: $40 million; Governorates: Nationwide
ECONOMIC COURTS ACTIVITY: USAID is partnering with the Ministry of Justice to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the Economic Courts in Egypt. The Government of Egypt created the Economic Courts in 2008 to resolve financial and commercial disputes relating to investment, bankruptcy, real estate, banking, intellectual property, and competition, among others, in an effort to improve the investment environment in Egypt. USAID’s Economic Courts Activity will automate and digitalize processes within the Economic Courts to limit in-person transactions, speed the resolution of cases, improve access to documents and notifications and reduce petty corruption. The Economic Courts Activity will also provide advanced training to judges and administrative staff on financial and commercial matters and on the technical skills required for the use and maintenance of automated systems. By increasing private sector confidence in the Egyptian legal system, this activity will encourage foreign and local investment, and promote economic development in Egypt.
Implementing Partner: Tetra Tech DPK; Life of Project: August 2020 – August 2025; Total Estimated Cost: $19 million; Governorates: Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said, Tanta, Mansoura, Beni Suef, Assiut, Qena
ENHANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH SINAI: Through this program, USAID supports the economic and social inclusion of Bedouin communities. Building on over a decade of U.S. investments in North Sinai, this program raises the standards of living of Bedouin communities and displaced families in North Sinai by promoting traditional Bedouin livelihoods, increasing access to higher education opportunities, and improving health services in the region, including mental health and psycho-social services for families and youth experiencing trauma from years of ongoing conflict. This program increases the number of women and youth entrepreneurs in North Sinai, improves the sustainability of regional fisheries and agriculture, builds leadership skills among youth, and strengthens the administrative and fiduciary capacities of civil society organizations, so that they can lead complex development efforts in the region.
Implementing Partner: El Gora Community Development Association; Life of Project: August 2020 – July 2025; Total Estimated Cost: $5.3 million; Governorates: North Sinai
WOMEN’S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT: USAID is committed to supporting the Government of Egypt’s policy priority of empowering women towards achieving Egypt’s Vision 2030 and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. The Women's Economic and Social Empowerment program will increase women’s access to economic opportunities in Egypt and remove barriers to women’s participation in the economy. This program will improve the work environment for women in the private sector economy, expand women’s financial inclusion, and reduce the socioeconomic impacts of violence against women. By working in close partnership with the Egyptian private sector in a number of high-growth sectors, including sectors that are not traditionally common for women’s employment in Egypt, this program will promote equal employment opportunities for women, improve private sector hiring practices of women, and change attitudes towards gender equality in the workplace. The program is expected to reach more than 200,000 participants and about 15 million Egyptians through social media campaigns empowering women.
Implementing Partner: Consortium led by Pathfinder International; Life of Project: 2022 - 2027; Total Estimated Cost: $39 million; Governorates: Assiut, Beheira, Minya, Cairo, Giza, Sohag, Qena.
CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR GIRLS IN EGYPT: USAID, in partnership with the Government of Egypt, supports the empowerment of girls and young women in Upper Egypt by equipping them with key social and economic skills to eliminate violence against girls and young women, including Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) and early marriage. Through community awareness, this program engages parents and leaders in discussions about the protection and empowerment of girls to change perceptions of the roles girls play in their families, society, and the economy. This program also supports the Government of Egypt in its effort to strengthen Egypt’s policy and legal frameworks to provide codified protection and services to survivors and girls at-risk of FGM/C. The program partners with civil society and local governments in Assiut, Aswan, Qena, and Sohag to improve and expand child protection services in the governorates. By providing social, educational, and economic opportunities to girls, this program will reduce gender disparities, enhance girls’ social and economic status, and contribute to a reduction of harmful practices such as FMG/C.
Implementing Partner: UNICEF; Life of Project: December 2017 – September 2022; Total Estimated Cost: $4.4 million; Governorates: Assiut, Aswan, Qena, Sohag
INTERCOMMUNITY GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT: The Inter-Community Girls’ Empowerment program promotes cooperation and dialogue between young women and girls from different social and cultural backgrounds in an effort to develop a common vision of community and promote tolerance and inclusion. Through this program, USAID enhances women and girls’ leadership skills by helping emerging leaders to identify, prioritize, and address community needs through inter- and intra-community activities. The program also aims to combat violence against women and girls and improve the participation of women in the economy. The Inter-Community Girls’ Empowerment program will target 1,520 youth, parents, and community leaders from 12 villages, eight in Qena and four in Minya.
Implementing Partner: The Egypt Foundation for Integrated Development (El Nidaa); Life of Project: September 2020 – September 2023; Total Estimated Cost: $3 million; Governorates: Minya and Qena
SOCIAL PROTECTION COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM: USAID is partnering with the Ministry of Social Solidarity to support long-term COVID-19 relief efforts and provide socioeconomic support to the most vulnerable communities in Egypt. This program will deliver non-medical equipment to health care facilities to improve the quality of services and provide microloans to vulnerable women and single-headed households to strengthen the economic resilience of these households. In addition, this program will provide nationwide technical assistance to the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s social protection services such as the Takaful and Karama program and its partner non-governmental organizations to develop integrated IT infrastructure and improve the level of coordination between them.
Implementing Partner: Takaful Foundation; Life of Project: February 2022 – February 2023; Total Estimated Cost: $1.5 million; Governorates: North Sinai, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, Alexandria, Qena, Qalyubia, Giza and Cairo
El Gora Community Development Association
