NIGSD & EAPD launch the third edition of the African Women Leaders Program
15 March 2022
The National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD) - the training arm of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development - and the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development (EAPD) - the development arm of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - launched the third edition of the African Women Leaders Program, through the e-learning platform ATINGI, for many women working in leadership positions. in African countries.
Dr. Hala El-Said , Minister of Planning and Economic Development and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, said that it is important to work to promote equal opportunities and mainstream gender in government structures. El-Said emphasized the continuation of efforts to enhance the role of women in leadership positions and enhance their impact, and that women represent a source of economic vitality throughout Africa.El-Said indicated the Egyptian government's keenness to actively contribute to development efforts in the African continent, which is one of its priorities, explaining that empowering African women has become an integral part of the Egyptian government's agenda with the support of the political leadership. She confirmed the launch of the African Women's Leaders Program in its third edition, which comes within the framework of the Ministry and Institute's belief in the leadership role of women in the development of the African continent.For her part, Dr. Sherifa Sherif, Executive Director of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD), stressed that the Egyptian government has taken unprecedented steps to increase the representation of women, both within the public sector and in society as a whole.
Sherif stressed the need to work on paving the way for women to expand their numbers in leadership positions across the African continent and support the achievement of gender equality, with the belief that everyone has the right to reach equal levels of participation in leadership and decision-making regardless of gender.
Sherif explained that the program stems from the Institute's supportive role for capacity-building in the African continent and based on the great success achieved by the Executive Leadership Program for Women in the Egyptian government, which benefited a large number of women leaders in various Egyptian ministries and government agencies at the level of the various governorates of the Republic.
Ambassador Mohamed Khalil, Secretary-General of the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development, indicated that the agency, as the development arm of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is honored to witness the launch of this version of the "African Women Leaders Program" organized by the agency in cooperation with the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.
She emphasized that empowering women was and will always be a priority on the Egyptian government's agenda, given the strong political support that it enjoys, and that it is no longer a luxury or transformation, but rather an essential step to allow women to be included in the decision-making process in all its stages.
Ambassador Mohamed Khalil added that empowering women means giving them the right to choose, and not forcing them or restricting them with any social, cultural, political, or economic burden and that an essential part of this process is educating women, raising their awareness, and building their capabilities.
Ambassador Mohamed Khalil stressed that the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development is committed to giving priority to African women in its capacity-building programs and training courses, believing that empowering women means empowering the entire nation.
Dr. Hanan Rizk, Director of the African Development Center and Head of the Training Network for Management Institutes in Africa (Tanmia), said that the African Women Leaders Program is distinguished from other training programs that work on qualifying women cadres, as it not only provides an integrated plan to develop individual and practical skills with the latest training methods.