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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After finishing work at the rug factory, Omu Abanoub joins her family to recycle trash for extra income, in east Cairo, June 26, 2022.
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Doaa, a psychologist and certified meditation coach, offers affordable sessions to the public, in Cairo, June 5, 2022. "Most of my clients are young women who are facing social and financial pressures," she says.
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"My family always advises me against working late or in secluded places," psychologist and certified meditation coach Doaa says, in Cairo, June 5, 2022. According to rights groups like the U.N. and Amnesty International, Egypt's women and girls face an epidemic of sexual violence — a barrier to workforce participation.
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Radwa, an aspiring fashion designer, sorts items from her handmade, convertible clothing line for working- and middle-class women, in downtown Cairo, June 15, 2022. She says financial barriers stand between her and the growth of her business.
