Outcome EGY_D_3.1

The government is better able to prevent violence against women and girls (VAW&G) and deliver quality essential services to survivors, who are empowered to access and use them

Progress on track with most activities complete with the exception of analysis and dissemination of results which will be done in 2022 within the scope of the no cost extension of the "Men and Women for GE" programme. Progress on track with most activities complete with the exception of analysis and dissemination of results which will be done in 2022 within the scope of the no cost extension of the "Men and Women for GE" programme. The programme supported government awareness raising efforts including door-knocking campaigns. Notably, more stringent penalties for sexual harassment were adopted, classifying harassment as a felony rather than a misdemeanor. (Article. 306)

The government is better able to prevent violence against women and girls (VAW&G) and deliver quality essential services to survivors, who are empowered to access and use them

VAW is considered to be a top priority to the Egyptian government. Egypt hasrecently increased the penalty for some of the main violations related to violence against women. For example, the Penal Code defining, and criminalizing sexual harassment (Article 306) was amended in 2021 to consider sexual harassment as a felony. The penalty for sexual harassment was increased from a minimum of one year in prison to a minimum of five years, or a penalty of up to 300,000 Egyptian pounds up from 20,000 pounds. In 2021, the Egyptian Cabinet also approved a bill to increase the maximum penalty for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to 20 years in prison. Also in 2021, the Prime Minister of Egypt announced the establishmentof the “One Stop Shop for the Protection of Women Victims of violence” to receive reports and cases from women survivors of violence and enable them to submit and follow-up on their case through one place, which will facilitate procedures and enhance women’s access to justice. The One-Stop-Shop will include representatives from all concerned national institutions and will provide essential services on site such as medical, legal, forensic, psychosocial, and social services to survivors. In 2022, the President requested legislators to do more to criminalise child marraige and to resolve the personal status legislation issues. The latter is not expected in 2023 but the former is anticipated.