Cairo, April 22nd 2020
The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) welcomes the Decrees by the Minister of Manpower No. 43 and 44 of 2021, which paves the way for further economic empowerment of women, by making work for women available and permitted in all fields -except for mines.
Decree No. 155 of 2003 had prevented women from working in 30 fields of industry, including that of glassmaking, leather-making and production of chemicals. This was canceled according to Decree 43 of 2021, which lifted the ban in all areas with the exception of mines and underground work. However, it maintained the ban for pregnant women, in order to protect them and their babies.
Decree 44 of 2021 was also issued; allowing women’s work at night in industrial fields, with the requirement that facilities obtain a permit to do so, and that the place of work comes within the standards of safety requirements and the provision of safe transportation. This decision repeals Decree No. 183 of 2003, which allowed women to work at night only within specific service fields.
These decisions come as a leap which affirms the right of women to work. It also organizes legal and insurance protection for them, especially in many professions that women were actually occupying despite the legal prohibition, which leaves them without legal protection. The actual reality saw the work of women in these fields, which means that women workers in these jobs do not fall under the legal umbrella and are left without any sort of social protection.
Nehad Abolkomsan, chairwoman of the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights, confirms that the recent decisions of the Minister of Manpower are an important step in the economic empowerment of women, in which international indicators point toward Egypt’s low status. According to the Gender Gap Report for 2020, Egypt ranked 140 out of 153 countries. In the economic participation and opportunity index, and ranked 143 in the labor force participation rate.
These decisions have facilitated the process of providing a safe work environment for all male and female workers, as well as for providing safe means of transportation for them, especially in night work. Furthermore, these decisions came as a result of the great effort and cooperation between the Unit for Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment, the National Council for Women and civil society.
Both decisions have emphasized the need for continued cooperation between these bodies in order to: address any developments or urgencies that occur in the workplace, follow up on the implementation of these decisions, and even prepare impact studies to determine the progress made, and the extent to which the working woman is enabled to reconcile her family duties with the requirements of work, which is what It was stipulated in Article 11 of the 2014 Constitution.
Ms. Abolkomsan calls for employing executive action mechanisms that support the implementation of these ministerial decrees, which work towards enhancing women’s economic participation and empowerment, which in turn help Egypt advance by international standards.
