In male-dominated Egypt, the workforce participation rate among women and girls ages 15 and older is an estimated 18%, falling below the Middle East-North Africa region's average of 19%, according to the International Labor Organization. For VOA, photojournalist Hamada Elrasam traces a thread that binds the everyday struggles of mothers and young female professionals across Cairo: dreams of agency amid far-reaching, often gender-based barriers to participation. Words by Elle Kurancid.
Egyptian Women in Work: Between Barriers and Dreams
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Marina, a stay-at-home mother of two daughters, looks below at the bustling streets of east Cairo, June 26, 2022. "I dream of opening a beauty salon, but I can't find the time and my own financial resources to do so," she said.
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As dinner boils on the stove, Marina helps one daughter with her homework and teaches the alphabet to the other, in Cairo, June 26, 2022.
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Marina cleans her Cairo home, June 26, 2022. The International Labor Organization's latest statistics on Egypt's workforce show that while more than 67% of men are employed, some 18% of women are wage earners, including both the formal and informal sectors.
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Omu Abanoub, a rug weaver and single mother of two, says even though she only makes an average of $80 a month, she still dreams of opening her own business. She is seen in east Cairo, June 27, 2022.
