CEOSS’ Local Development Unit has organized an awareness raising meeting for women working in the informal sector at the technical and legal levels in the villages of Minia Governorate. The meeting was attended by a number of community committee members in Minia Governorate, board members of the Woman and Society Organization for Comprehensive Development in Tayeba, and representatives of a number of government and private sector entities concerned with the cause of women working in the informal sector in the governorate.

Ms. Margarite Saroufim, director of the Local Development Unit at CEOSS, said that, “in this meeting CEOSS aims at supporting gender equality issues, supporting women working in the informal sector, as well as giving a presentation on technical services provided by the state and legal materials that support women’s work in an official framework to provide them with a safe and appropriate work environment.”

Saroufim added that, “the meeting is a part of the activities of the project ‘An inclusive economic horizon for craftswomen’ that aims at improving capacities and increasing the access of women who depend on the informal economy to work under the umbrella of the formal sector and to have broad and secure economic opportunities in the workforce”.

Counselor Walid Abdel Rahman, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Manpower, Dr. Manal Abu Samra, Rapporteur of the National Council for Women, Mr. Haitham Ahmed, Vice President of the Enterprise Development Authority, and Mrs. Amani Tamer, Director of the Social Solidarity Department, Samalout District, participated in the activities of the meeting and contributed to providing technical and legal support. This is besides Mr. Walid El-Hean, Director of the Media Center in Minia, Mr. Mohamed Rushdy, Executive Director of Giza Spinning and Weaving Company.