UNFPA and the National Council for Women (NCW) organized the fourth annual national coordination meeting for the Anti-Violence against Women Units in Egyptian universities on December 1, offering a platform for representatives of 29 national and private universities to exchange experiences.

Representatives from the units at the different universities also learned more about the referral pathways offered to women subjected to violence, including immediate medical response under the Safe Women Clinics.

Participants also discussed the challenges facing them, including lack of awareness among students on the different forms of violence and highlighted the importance of offering legal training for university staff, faculty and students to provide comprehensive knowledge on the rights of the victims and the procedures of investigation.

There are currently 29 Anti-Violence against Women Units across Egypt’s universities in 27 governorates. The units offer informative sessions, reporting processes and documentation of incidents of violence against women on campus.

The meeting comes under activities held to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which start on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and run until December 10, Human Rights Day.

Sally Zohney, Gender Specialist at UNFPA reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to the eradication of violence against women and to supporting the universities to be a safe educational environment for women.

NCW’s Board Member Dr. Rania Yehia expressed her deep appreciation to the efforts of universities, and the support of NCW to their ongoing efforts on-campus to educate students and staff on the topic.

During the first session of the day, Shaimaa Naeem, Head of the Planning Department at the National Council for Women, discussed the current challenges facing the University Units such as the lack of financial resources allocated and poor knowledge among students of the different forms of violence and means of prevention.

NCW’s Complaints Office Director Amal Tawkiq presented the different services provided to women subjected to violence through their hotline, central office and local offices in governorates. She also presented the various modes of intervention that the complaints office is able to take prior to judiciary action.

The session was also an opportunity for a dialogue with the Universities around prevalent forms of violence on-campus such as cyber violence. Dr. AmiraTawadros, Director of the Anti VAW Unit in Cairo University, delivered a presentation on the National Project on the Development of the Egyptian Family and shared good practices on family planning and women’s economic empowerment.

Judge Ahmed El-Naggar, legal expert at the Coordination Unit at NCW, and Dr. Amal Philip, health services expert at the Coordination Unit, both presented the legal and medical aspects of violence against women, existing services and legislation. The discussions were centered around cyber violence and offered participants stronger knowledge around available services for women and the laws criminalizing forms of violence against women.

This meeting was organized with the support of KOICA and the Embassy of Norway under the broader program to enhance effectiveness and response to gender-based violence.