Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Healthcare Protection Policies During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Lessons Towards The Implementation Of The New Egyptian Universal Health Insurance Law, Alaa Ghannam, Ayman Sebae

Faculty Journal Articles

On March 11th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a global pandemic. The spread of the virus in many countries has exceeded the capabilities of the traditional healthcare systems and has challenged government plans to contain it.

The COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Egypt at a time when the first steps in the implementation of the newly ratified law on social health insurance were taking place. Law number 2 for the year 2018 saw the first steps of its implementation in Port Said governorate. As the realisation of the law is proceeding in other governorates, the pandemic and …

After Covid-19: Mitigating Domestic Gender-Based Violence In Egypt In Times Of Emergency, Diana Magdy, Hind Ahmed Zaki

Faculty Journal Articles

In times of crises and emergencies, violence against women tends to increase. The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in severe precautionary measures such as social isolation, physical distancing, staying at home, curfews and lockdowns, which brought “normal” life to a halt and created a temporary convergence between the public and the private. The pandemic has forced the global community to turn its gaze back to the private, and compelled them to pay attention to the old/new problem of gender-based violence, particularly, domestic violence that spiked during the pandemic. Against such a backdrop, and using a critical feminist lens that analyzes …

Important Lessons On Fgm/C Abandonment From Four Research Studies In Egypt, Nada Wahba, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Abeer Salem

Reproductive Health

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) continues to be a widespread practice in Egypt. According to the 2014 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey, the prevalence of FGM/C was 92 percent among ever-married women aged 15–49. However, Egypt continues to witness a drastic surge in the medicalization of FGM/C, with 74 percent of women aged 19 years and younger circumcised by medical practitioners, compared to 55 percent in 1995. This policy brief provides key results and recommendations of four studies conducted by the Population Council/ Egypt under the Evidence to End FGM/C project, in coordination with Egypt’s National Population Council. The four studies …

Two Implementation Models Of Workers' Health Education Programs In Egypt: What Works? What Doesn't Work?, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Norhan Bader, Elizabeth Tobey, Aparna Jain

Reproductive Health

This brief presents findings from two models of workers’ health education programs implemented by the Evidence Project/Population Council in Egypt. The two interventions aimed to increase family planning (FP) service demand among young people aged 18–35 in Port Said and urban Souhag. In Port Said, male and female factory workers who were trained as peer educators shared family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) information with fellow factory workers, distributed communication materials, and provided referrals to infirmary nurses trained in FP counseling. In Souhag, male and female peer educators were trained to provide integrated FP/RH and livelihood workshops to job seekers. Results of …

Understanding Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Abandonment In Egypt, Nada Wahba, Hania El Banhawi, Amira El Ayouti

Reproductive Health

Although the prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Egypt among married women aged 15–49 years is high (92 percent), in the most recent (2014) Demographic and Health Survey, prevalence rates appear to be declining among younger cohorts of girls and women. Support for the discontinuation of the practice is more widespread in younger generations, among females, and among those living in urban areas. Variations in attitudes toward FGM/C by education level and wealth status are also documented. While numerous studies have examined the reasons why people practice FGM/C, few studies have examined the characteristics of the individuals who have …

Health Care Providers' And Mothers' Perceptions About The Medicalization Of Female Genital Mutilation Or Cutting In Egypt: A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study [Arabic], Omaima El-Gibaly, Mirette Aziz

Reproductive Health

The medicalization of FGM/C has been increasing significantly in Egypt making it the country with the highest rate of medicalization. In this qualitative study, we explore the drivers and motives behind why health-care professionals perform FGM/C and why mothers rely on them to perform the practice on their daughters.

No To Circumcision’: The Road To Effective Social Marketing Campaigns In Egypt [Arabic], Salma Abou Hussein, Sarah Ghattass

Reproductive Health

This study sought to understand how, where, and why social marketing campaigns (SMCs) supporting abandonment of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) are working, and with what impact, to inform design and scale-up of campaigns that can foster new perspectives, expectations, and behaviors.

"No To Circumcision": The Road To Effective Social Marketing Campaigns In Egypt, Salma Abou Hussein, Sarah Ghattass

Reproductive Health

To inform the design and scale up of initiatives that can drive a change in attitudes and behaviors toward FGM/C abandonment, there is a rising need to understand the perspectives of individuals who are exposed to social marketing campaigns (SMCs), which are a key intervention to promote the abandonment of the practice. This working paper presents the findings of a study that sought to understand how, where, and why SMCs for FGM/C abandonment are working, and with what impact, to inform design and scale-up of campaigns that can foster new perspectives, expectations, and behaviors.

The Cost Of Reaching The Most Disadvantaged Girls: Programmatic Evidence From Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, South Africa, And Uganda, Jessica Sewall-Menon, Judith Bruce, Karen Austrian, Raven Brown, Jennifer Catino, Alejandra Colom, Angel Del Valle, Habtamu Demele, Annabel Erulkar, Kelly Hallman, Eva Roca, Nadia Zibani

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The most disadvantaged adolescent girls are the poorest girls from the poorest communities. They suffer from human rights abuses, lack education and economic opportunity, are affected by HIV/AIDS, and have poor reproductive and maternal health outcomes. To effectively reach these girls so that they can receive critical services such as gathering spaces, life skills, financial literacy, savings accounts, and reproductive health knowledge, they must be targeted as a distinct segment. It is important to invest in building the capacities of local partners and governments to deliver and scale-up low-cost, well-targeted programs. This technical report is intended to assist programmatic officers, …

The Impact Of Water Supply And Sanitation On Child Health: Evidence From Egypt, Rania Roushdy, Maia Sieverding, Hanan Radwan

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, this working paper investigates whether access to improved sources of water and sanitation is an effective “treatment” for the incidence of diarrhea among children under five years of age in Egypt. Both components of the study indicate that widespread access to improved sources of drinking water and toilet facilities exists across Egypt; however, service quality remains a significant problem in many areas. In particular, cuts in water supply—and the resulting practice of storing water—are quite common; a sizable percentage of flush toilet facilities are not connected to the public sewer system; and …

National Efforts Toward Fgm-Free Villages In Egypt: The Evidence Of Impact, Ghada Barsoum, Nadia Rifaat, Omaima El-Gibaly, Nihal Elwan, Natalie Forcier

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report is a midterm evaluation and documentation of the process and approach of the FGM-Free Village Model implemented in Egypt by the National Council of Childhood and Motherhood with assistance from the Population Council. In a comparison of responses from women and men in intervention groups to those in nonintervention (control) villages, data analysis shows that the program has been successful in changing views and attitudes toward female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM is an entrenched generational practice, and eradicating it in a community requires concerted effort over an extended period of time. This evaluation strongly recommends that efforts be …

Hazards And Gender In Children's Work: An Egyptian Perspective, Nadia Zibani

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Girls and boys can and do work. They work for a variety of reasons related to poverty or failures in educational systems, and they work to support themselves and their families or to learn skills for future careers. The types of work carried out by children often differ according to the gender of the child. Additionally, the hazards they face in their work can also be differentiated on the basis of gender. The present study attempts to develop a better understanding of the gender aspects of children’s work with a particular focus on the gender-differentiated hazards that exist therein. This …

Trade Liberalization, Inter-Industry Wage Differentials And Job Quality In Egyptian Manufacturing, Shireen Al Azzawi, Mona Said

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This working paper investigates the impact of trade openness on wage and job quality outcomes in the Egyptian manufacturing sector over a period of rapid trade liberalization. Results indicate that institutional factors of job quality (social security, medical insurance, a contract, paid casual leave, paid sick leave, and membership in a trade union) have the strongest correlation with the trade variables and the industry-specific characteristics used in the analysis. Tariff reduction per se, does not seem to have had a significant impact on either wages or job quality. On the other hand, increased export orientation exerts a strong positive impact …

Measuring And Operationalizing Job Quality In Egypt [Arabic], Ragui Assaad, Rania Roushdy, Ali Rashed

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

When There Is No Respect At Work: Job Quality Issues For Women In Egypt's Private Sector [Arabic], Ghada Barsoum, Ali Rashed, Dahlia Hassanein

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

Trade Liberalization, Inter-Industry Wage Differentials And Job Quality In Egyptian Manufacturing [Arabic], Shireen Al Azzawi, Mona Said

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

Mesures De La Qualité De L'Emploi Au Maroc: Vers La Construction D'Un Indicateur Composite, Touhami Abdelkhalek, Aziz Ajbilou, Mohamed Benkassmi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La qualité de l’emploi, son approche et sa mesure sont devenues des préoccupations majeures de plusieurs pays et organisations internationales dont le Bureau International du Travail (BIT). Dans ce travail, nous essayons de poser ce problème pour la première fois au Maroc. La prise de conscience relative à ce phénomène s’est retrouvée au cœur des débats dans les pays en développement, surtout ceux qui ont connu une libéralisation accrue des échanges et des ajustements sur les législations du marché du travail. Au Maroc, comme dans d’autres pays, un constat encourageant a été enregistré avec la baisse tendancielle du taux de …

The Impact Of Labor Market Reforms On Informality In Egypt, Jackline Wahba

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Egypt has undergone a number of economic reform measures since the early 1990s, with the aim of liberalizing the economy and moving toward a market economy. As a result, among other measures, the Egyptian government has introduced a new labor law (No. 12) with the goal of increasing flexibility in the labor market. Law 12, which came into effect in July 2003, provides comprehensive guidelines for the recruitment, hiring, compensation, and termination of employees. In particular, it provides increased flexibility for firms in the hiring/firing process, which has been a major bottleneck for job creation in the Egyptian labor market. …

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Change Is Possible, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Changing long-standing cultural practices—even when such practices are harmful—is difficult, but the impressive success in reducing the acceptability and incidence of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in several settings shows it is possible. Research by FRONTIERS in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, and Senegal has provided insight into the sociocultural and religious underpinnings of FGM/C and has identified approaches that, over time, have contributed to individual and community decisions to abandon the practice. This information can help reduce the risk of undergoing FGM/C faced by three million girls and women every year. This is one of eight Legacy Papers synthesizing …

When There Is No Respect At Work: Job Quality Issues For Women In Egypt's Private Sector, Ghada Barsoum, Ali Rashed, Dahlia Hassanein

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Egypt has one of the lowest female labor participation rates in the world. Based on ethnographic research, this working paper argues that women in Egypt, particularly young women, face job-quality issues that discourage them from continuing to work or even entering the labor market. The paper highlights women’s, particularly young women’s, valorization of jobs in the public sec-tor and with the government, even if untenable. Discussed are the advantages presented by the public sector in Egypt, why those jobs are valorized by women, and the strategies young women adopt in clinging to the hope of getting a public sector/government job. …

The Impact Of Labor Market Reforms On Informality In Egypt [Arabic], Jackline Wahba

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

Measuring And Operationalizing Job Quality In Egypt, Ragui Assaad, Rania Roushdy, Ali Rashed

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Given data constraints and the complexity of the concept, it is already quite challenging to operationalize the notion of job quality for wage and salary employment, but even more so for nonwage workers. This working paper addresses this challenge and attempts to formulate a measure of job quality at the individual job level. We combine information on actual and estimated earnings with information on access to social insurance, regularity of employment, work hours, and the nature of the workplace into an index of job quality, and we investigate the individual and enterprise-level determinants of such an index. Although our findings …

Men Selling Sex In Cairo And Alexandria: Perspectives On Male Sex Work And Aids In Egypt, Souad Hamada

Archived Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative approach was used to study the etiology of male sex work in Egypt and report on issues related to sexual identity, sociodemographic characteristics, and work and HIV contexts of male sex workers. Seven male sex workers aged between 17 and 37 were interviewed in Cairo and Alexandria. This preliminary, exploratory study suggests the existence of a strong relationship between childhood sexual abuse and later involvement in sex work. Other secondary factors driving some youth into sex work include poverty, inadequate salaries, unemployment, low education levels and other types of childhood maltreatment including physical, emotional and psychological abuse and …

Egypt: Are Egyptian Couples Willing To Stop At Two Children? Results Of The Slow Fertility Transition Survey [Arabic], Population Council

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

Family Planning To Reproduction Health, Women To Gender: Small Steps In A Circle, Hania Sholkamy

Faculty Book Chapters

The second of two issues, this volume covers aspects of Egyptian society. Contributors include: Donald Cole, Soraya Altorki, Asef Bayat, Eric Denis, Enid Hill, Ziad Bahaeddin, Malak Rouchdy, Linda Herrera, Jim Napoli, Hussein Amin, Mahmoud al-Lozy, Cynthia Nelson, and Shahnaz Rouse.

Do Population Policies Matter? Fertility And Politics In Egypt, India, Kenya, And Mexico, Anrudh K. Jain

Reproductive Health

How are effective population policies articulated and implemented? Have international agencies played a strong role in prompting developing-country governments to adopt and implement strong population policies? How has the international debate influenced deliberations on population issues in developing countries? The impetus for the four country studies presented in this book was provided by a desire to better understand some of these issues within specific contexts. Egypt, India, Kenya, and Mexico were selected because of their demographic weight, a long history of population policies and programs, and evidence of fertility decline. The four country studies examine the influence of many forces …