Egypt’s NIGSD launches a program for self-development & professional for women leaders in the government sector

Egypt’s National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD), the training arm of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, launched a self-and professional development program for women leaders in the government sector, in cooperation with the National Council for Women (NCW), and the Economic Governance Project of the United States Agency for International Development (UNDP).


During her speech at the opening session, Dr. Sherifa Sharif, Executive Director of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD), said that one of the most important files the NIGSD works on is training women in the government sector, the private sector, and civil society.

 Sharif explained that the women's leadership training program began in 2018 in 11 governorates in the Republic, and the remaining governorates are intended to be completed by the end of 2022, and more than 500 women have been trained in the government sector.

 Sharif stressed that NIGSD is keen on the quality of the training program.
 “Trainees submit a graduation project at the end of the program, and these projects are presented to a committee of experts for evaluation,” Sharif said.

Sherif added that the program included qualifying women leaders on several skills related to their jobs, including management skills and tests, personality traits and project work, and other skills necessary to gain them the necessary leadership proficiency, in addition to topics that focus on women's empowerment, gender sensitivity, inclusion, governance, and sustainable development.

  Sherif explained that the training of the first batch of the program lasted for 9 months, and then the period was reduced to 3 months in the second batch.

“The training will be over three days a week, to help the trainees reconcile their job tasks, their family burdens, and the requirements of the training program,” She added.

The program aims to achieve the continuity of support provided to graduates of the leadership program at the Institute, especially when they return to the work cycle. The program will provide intensive consultations for female graduates, support female graduates to identify priorities for self and professional development, as well as prepare for career development in the state’s administrative apparatus.
The opening session was attended by Dr. Maya Morsi, President of the National Council for Women (NCW), Dr. Salwa Tabbala, Senior Consultant on USAID Governance in Egypt, Dr. Salih Al Sheikh, Head of the Central Agency for Organization and Administration (CAOA), and Mr. Jason Taylor, Acting Director of the Office of Democracy and Governance American International Development.

The opening session was moderated by Dr. Khaled Zakaria, the Senior Governance Consultant at the Economic Governance Project