UNFPA partnered with Media & More for the 16 Days of Activism Community Festival in Cairo held on November 26 until December 1 2024, which included film screenings, panel discussions, theater performances, workshops and art exhibitions aimed at shedding light on violence against women and efforts to combat it.

During the festival, UNFPA organized a panel discussion on the services available to women and girls who are exposed to violence. The panel brought together Dr. Dina Shoukry, professor of Forensic Medicine at Cairo University, Counsellor Ahmed Al-Naggar, judge and UNFPA legal advisor, and Dr. Noha Sabry, Professor of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University. The panel was moderated by Sally Zohney, Gender Specialist at UNFPA.

Panelists highlighted the role of the medical sector through Safe Women Clinics, which offer comprehensive services to women and girls subjected to violence, as well as information on confidentiality protocols, the role of forensic evidence collection, and the importance of psychological support services.

UNFPA organized another panel discussion during the festival on role of the Women and Girls Safe Spaces, that offers comprehensive gender-based violence services for refugees, bringing together Naglaa Mehana, Deputy Program Director at Etijah, Sandy Samir, GBV case worker, along with Sarah Azhari Adam, Founder of the Macrame Teaching Initiative, and Asmaa Al-Tayeb, Founder of Soksoka, Sudanese Initiative for Incense and Perfumes, both of whom are graduates of the Safe Spaces. The panel was moderated by Reem Marta, UNFPA field Coordinator. 

The panel relayed experiences of women who participated in activities lead by the Safe Spaces. The Safe Spaces offer a range of services and activities for women and girls from refugee communities, including psychosocial support and referral to legal and health services, as well as vocational training and awareness raising sessions. The Safe Spaces also offer a place where they can re-build their social networks, and integrate with their Egyptian peers.

On November 28, the festival saw a theatre performance by the Nawah Theatre team titled “The Perfect Family.” The performance was developed and performed by a group of young volunteers from the Population Awareness Clubs, which operate in youth centers around Egypt, acting as hubs for raising awareness on population issues through interactive methods such as music and theatre.

“The Perfect Family” explores the dark side of social media, highlighting themes of cyberbullying, cyber blackmail, and digital forms of gender-based violence, where UNFPA plays a global advocacy effort to sensitize on “Technology-Facilitated GBV”. 

Throughout the duration of the festival, UNFPA held a creative  exhibition on the Women and Girls Safe Spaces, to showcase the services offered there. The exhibition aimed at guiding visitors through a visual representation of the Safe Spaces, explaining the various support pathways available to women and girls.

The exhibition also displayed handmade artwork and crafts produced by women at the Safe Spaces, with proceeds from the sales going directly toward the women and girls who created them.