Egyptian Women, Violence, and Food Safety: How WFP Egypt is Driving Change

Globally, one in three ladies will expertise gender-based violence (GBV) of their lifetime, however in lots of circumstances, the hurt isn’t just bodily. In Egypt, the place ladies’s financial participation stands at simply 15.9 %, violence usually takes financial types that immediately have an effect on survival. 

It is subsequently no shock that on the intersection of two international crises, GBV and meals insecurity, lies an often-overlooked however important actuality: the financial and social inequities that render ladies weak to each.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Egypt on 10 December culminated its groundbreaking 16-day digital marketing campaign, مش بس الضرب, which roughly interprets to the violence isn’t just bodily, designed to make clear the hidden types of GBV and their linkages to meals safety.

The marketing campaign, which spanned 25 November to 10 December, united voices from various fields to spark dialogue and encourage motion, with insights from 10 specialists

The marketing campaign’s message was clear: GBV isn’t just bodily, it’s psychological, financial, and systemic.

By linking it to meals safety, the initiative underscored how societal inequities perpetuate cycles of violence and deprivation, significantly for girls in weak communities.

According to a 2023 United Nations report, rural ladies are disproportionately affected by meals insecurity, with almost 60 % reporting difficulties in offering enough diet for his or her households.

The causes are multifaceted: lack of entry to agricultural inputs, restricted management over family funds, and societal restrictions that prioritize male authority. According to WFP, addressing these boundaries isn’t just an ethical crucial; it’s an financial necessity.

The WFP’s marketing campaign featured an interactive panel dialogue and contributions from 4 influential figures, together with athletes, media professionals, psychological well being specialists, and advocates in an occasion in Downtown Cairo on 9 December.

The panel, attended by members of the diplomatic and donor communities, alongside personal sector leaders, explored actionable options to dismantle the structural boundaries that maintain GBV and its intersection with meals insecurity.

“Part of our work with the Egyptian Government underscores the strength of partnerships in addressing the complex intersection of food security and gender-based violence,” mentioned Jean-Pierre de Margerie, WFP Egypt Representative and Country Director.

He highlighted WFP’s She Can initiative, which has empowered over 70,000 rural ladies in Egypt by entrepreneurship coaching and micro-loans.

Empowered ladies usually tend to put money into their youngsters’s training, well being, and diet, making a ripple impact that extends throughout generations.

“By boosting household incomes and improving self-esteem, these efforts are not only reducing women’s vulnerability to violence but are also creating lasting change,” he added.

Hidden Forms of Violence

A central theme of the marketing campaign was highlighting lesser-known types of GBV, comparable to financial and psychological violence. Doaa Arafa, a gender skilled at WFP highlighted what number of ladies face restricted entry to capital, belongings, and safe jobs, significantly in rural areas the place patriarchal norms are extra entrenched.

“These structural inequalities often lead to food insecurity for women and their children, compounding their vulnerability to GBV,” Arafa defined. She pointed to WFP’s financial empowerment packages as essential interventions. “Through initiatives like She Can, we have seen women gain financial independence, breaking cycles of violence and improving their families’ well-being.”

Arafa additionally underscored the urgent want to handle the systemic boundaries ladies face in rural Egypt.

“Economic violence is one of the most insidious forms of GBV,” Arafa defined. “It denies women access to the very resources they need to survive, whether it’s land, credit, or education. This doesn’t just affect individual women; it impacts entire families, perpetuating cycles of poverty and malnutrition.”

Arafa cited the She Can program as a shining instance of how focused interventions can break these cycles. “When women gain financial independence, we see dramatic shifts in their ability to feed their families and secure brighter futures for their children. It’s not just about the money, it’s about empowerment, dignity, and breaking free from abuse.”

Nada Hafez, an Olympic fencer who competed within the 2024 Paris Games whereas seven months pregnant, introduced her personal narrative of resilience to the marketing campaign.

“Competing on a global stage while carrying my child was a testament to the strength that women possess,” Hafez mentioned. “But strength isn’t just physical. It’s about overcoming barriers, be they societal expectations or economic constraints.”

Hafez highlighted the financial dimensions of GBV inside sports activities, noting how feminine athletes usually face unequal entry to assets and alternatives.

“When sponsors or governing bodies withhold funding, it limits not just our performance but our basic needs, like proper nutrition. These challenges mirror those faced by women in other industries. Violence, in all its forms, prevents us from reaching our full potential,” she added.

Moustafa El Nahas, a psychiatrist, delved into the much less seen results of GBV: continual nervousness, melancholy, and post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD), which may hinder survivors’ capacity to work or care for his or her households.

“When survivors are unable to work or care for their families due to psychological trauma, it creates a vicious cycle,” El Nahas added. “Breaking this cycle requires holistic approaches that address both the emotional and material needs of survivors.”

Children in GBV-affected households are significantly weak. Research signifies that youngsters in such environments are at the next danger of malnutrition because of disrupted meal schedules and the caregiver’s psychological well being struggles.

A Multifaceted Approach

The WFP marketing campaign emphasised the significance of addressing GBV by a number of channels, from social behavioral change (SBC) campaigns to gender-sensitive meals distribution packages. These initiatives, performed in collaboration with the Egyptian Government, have reached hundreds of individuals in rural areas, addressing dangerous practices comparable to early marriage and feminine genital mutilation.

“We’ve seen real-life stories of transformation,” Arafa mentioned. “Parents deciding to keep their daughters in school, delaying marriages, and reporting FGM cases—these are the changes that ripple through communities.”

Globally, one in three ladies expertise bodily or sexual violence of their lifetime, with many additionally subjected to financial and psychological abuse, based on the World Health Organization. In Egypt, rural ladies face distinctive challenges: early marriage, restricted entry to credit score, and exclusion from private-sector alternatives. These components not solely perpetuate GBV but additionally jeopardize meals safety for households.

The stakes are excessive. Studies present that financial empowerment generally is a game-changer. Women who management monetary assets are much less prone to expertise violence and extra prone to put money into their youngsters’s training and diet, making a virtuous cycle of resilience.

Arafa additionally emphasised the position of media in shaping narratives round GBV.

“We can either perpetuate challenges or dismantle them,” she mentioned. “By showcasing real stories of resilience, we can inspire action to combat gender-based violence and create a more equitable future for women.”

Michel Gerges, founding father of Rajul, an initiative centered on reimagining masculinity, known as for a reevaluation of societal norms. “Understanding and addressing the perceptions of masculinity that drive GBV is critical,” he mentioned. “Only then can we foster healthier communities.”

As the marketing campaign attracts to an in depth, its influence resonates past Instagram posts and panel discussions. The message is obvious: tackling GBV and meals insecurity requires collective motion, from grassroots efforts to governmental insurance policies. Programs like WFP’s She Can and SBC initiatives have proven that change is feasible when ladies are empowered with assets and information.

Hafez summed it up finest: “When we challenge societal norms and give women the tools to succeed, we are not just empowering individuals—we are building stronger, more resilient communities.”