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

According to a study published by the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal “[In Egypt] the overall prevalence of mental health issues has been estimated at 16.93% of the adult population. Mental disorders were associated with sociodemographic factors (e.g. being female, being unemployed, being divorced).” 

As made clear by this study, being female in Egypt -much like any other country around the world- is a contributing factor to experiencing issues of mental health. Indeed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) “Gender is a critical determinant of mental health and mental illness. [This is because] Gender determines the differential power and control men and women have over the socioeconomic determinants of their mental health and lives, their social position, status and treatment in society and their susceptibility and exposure to specific mental health risks.” In other words, because women tend to be over represented in statistics pertaining to poverty, lack of social status, lack of political affluence etc., women are much more likely going to experience issues pertaining to mental health. 

The WHO goes on to further state that “gender differences occur particularly in the rates of common mental disorders – depression, anxiety and somatic complaints. These disorders, in which women predominate, affect approximately 1 in 3 people in the community.” 

Given all these facts, it ought not be a surprise that Egypt’s Supreme Council of Culture is hosting a special seminar, on Wednesday the 18th of April, entitled Women’s Mental Health, and dedicated especially to discussing this issue. The seminar will be hosted in one of the Cairo Opera House‘s seminar halls, where the council is based and located. The seminar will be led by Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Shaaban, Professor of Psychology at Alexandria University.