UNFPA commemorated International Day of the Girl Child with an interactive event that included panel discussions, a photo exhibition and a music performance by the UNFPA-supported Shamandoura initiative.
The event kicked off with a panel discussion on the investment in digital assets for girls, where experts discussed the definition of digital assets, and the challenges, risks and opportunities they bring.
The panel brought together Shereen Maher, project manager at the National Council for Women, Sally Zohney, gender program specialist at UNFPA, Tasneem Mounir, holistic and cyber security trainer, Michael Sherif, psychotherapist at the Community Hub, and was moderated by Ahmed Hegab, digital safety specialist.
Panelists discussed the potential of investing in digital assets for young girls, as well as the elements of technology-facilitated gender-based violence against girls, and the safety and security issues associated with the digital realm.
A second panel followed tackling female genital mutilation (FGM), bringing together survivors, advocates, medical service providers, and a religious leader, who shared their expertise and efforts towards the elimination of elimination.
The panel featured Rabab Abdel Reheim, Shaimaa Nasser, and Ahmed Gamil, advocates against FGM from Kafr al-Sheikh, Minya and Beni Suef respectively, along with Abdel Moneim Abdel Rahman, religious leader affiliated with the Ministry of Endowments, Yasmine Kortam, director general of the General Administration of Awareness Campaigns at the National Council for Women, and Hagar Ramadan, psychiatrist and Y-Peer volunteer, UNFPA’s peer education youth network. The panel was moderated by Heba Youssif, Girls Empowerment Analyst at UNFPA.
The event also included a photo exhibition showcasing success stories from the Noura program, which targets adolescent girls, as well as other UNFPA-supported programs geared towards the elimination of FGM in different governorates in Egypt.
The day concluded with a music performance by Shamandoura, a group of volunteers at the UNFPA-supported Population Awareness Clubs, who employ music to shed light on gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls, family planning and other population issues. The volunteers write, compose, and perform their own music.
