The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

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The British Embassy in Cairo aims to maintain and develop relations between the UK and Egypt, and their latest project is the For Her, With Her Fund, which calls for help on the topic of gender-based violence. Funded through the UK Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), For Her, With Her is a collaborative project between the two countries in the hope of reducing gender-based violence affecting unjustifiably women and girls. 

Victims are often discouraged from reporting the crime and have limited access to resources to help them navigate this difficult ordeal, whether it’s medical or psychological assistance. The collaboration’s focus is to support survivors but, most importantly, to put a stop to these crimes. 

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The two arms of support are prioritising prevention and supporting survivors. Prevention is done by working on modifying the attitude and behaviour of men and boys and educating them that violence is never the answer and that abuse can be more than physical but also emotional or financial. This will modify unequal gender beliefs and tear down stigma or gender stereotypes that will lead to providing a safer environment for women in areas like their workplaces, schools or university. 

To support survivors, the For Her, With Her Fund will focus on getting a higher reach of local support services and legal resources. Furthermore, medical and psychological support must be tailored for victims of different backgrounds. 

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Ahmed Hatem, the renowned Egyptian actor, has been appointed as the social affairs ambassador for the initiative in an effort to further the cause and influence young adults from his audience. Hatem attended the event held at the embassy alongside the UK’s ambassador to Cairo, Gareth Bayley, and the Baroness Hodgson of Abinger, Fiona Hodgson, who is the co-chair of the All-Party parliamentary group on women, peace and security. Hatem was honoured to take on this role and pledged his efforts to combat violence against women. He thanked the great minds behind the initiative for their trust and their dedication to the cause. During his speech, Hatem stressed the fact that “the time has come for men to support women…the time has come for change to start from men.” 

The fund is accepting drafting concept notes and bids from women-focused organisations and NGOs in Egypt that will prioritise reaching different communities in the country. The event at the British embassy had a round-table discussion about the effective ways to help women in this day and age and practical ways to end gender-based violence.