The Unit of Equal Opportunities and Gender Equality

Participation of the Equal Opportunities and Gender Equality Unit at Misr University for Science and Technology in the Initiative “Shaping the Future for Girls and Women”

Al-Azhar Park in Cairo hosted, on December 8, 2025, the launch of the “Shaping the Future for Girls and Women” event, held within the framework of the “Tamkeen” program to support girls and women in Egypt. The program is implemented in partnership with the National Council for Women, the European Union, UN Women, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative aims to expand opportunities for girls, enhance their access to essential services, and empower them socially and economically, with wide participation from girls and women across various governorates.

The event opened with high-level remarks emphasizing the importance of investing in girls from an early age and strengthening national programs such as “Noura” and “Dawwie” under the patronage of the First Lady. The opening session featured speeches by Counselor Amal Ammar, President of the National Council for Women; Ms. Elena Panova, United Nations Resident Coordinator; Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt; Dr. Abla Al-Alfi, Deputy Minister of Health and Population; and Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, in addition to interventions from representatives of EU member states. Representatives of UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women also delivered presentations on the program’s key initiatives.

The event included a youth session titled Young Talk, with participation from young people representing the She Leads initiative, university anti-violence units, student unions, sports champions, and the Noura and Dawwie programs, highlighting the role of younger generations in leading change. The program also featured media activities, video recordings, artistic performances, and interactive youth activities.

In this context, Misr University for Science and Technology took part with a distinguished contribution in the regional event “Shaping the Future for Girls and Women” through a group of volunteers from the University General Union working with the Equal Opportunities and Gender Equality Unit. The students presented a practical awareness model on mechanisms for combating violence, particularly technology-facilitated violence, which is the focus of this year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign.

This participation took place in the presence of Counselor Amal Ammar, President of the National Council for Women, along with representatives of UN Women, UNFPA, and UNICEF, adding special significance to the students’ presentation. The students prepared an integrated scenario illustrating the unit’s complaint intake process, case-handling pathway, available support services, and the role of student volunteers in supporting this system, providing the visiting delegation with a realistic and practical overview of the university’s efforts in this field.

The students also prepared a set of interactive cards containing questions about complaints and support mechanisms, along with cards featuring the approved answers. Members of the delegation were invited to draw a question card and attempt to answer it before the students presented the correct response according to the unit’s operational procedures, creating a rich and interactive dialogue between attendees and students.

As part of the focus on technology-related violence, two students (a female and a male) delivered an awareness presentation on the secure digital mechanisms provided by the unit for confidential complaint submission, including the use of a QR code. This participation reflected the high level of awareness among MUST students and their commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, while also highlighting the unit’s efforts to promote a culture of safety and build a university environment that guarantees rights for all without discrimination, particularly in the presence of national and international partners supporting women’s empowerment initiatives.