Safer Cities for Girls
Egypt
We work together to keep girls safe.
Sexual harassment is common in Cairo, and sometimes it can turn into assault. It’s a silent battle. Young women are afraid to speak up or report crimes — there’s shame that comes with being harassed. In a survey, Plan found that one in three Egyptian girls felt they could never talk to anyone about their safety concerns.
What are we doing?
The Safer Cities for Girls program is centered around girls’ clubs, where girls learn about their rights and make plans to improve their communities. In the clubs, girls learn about gender equality, safety, body positivity and advocacy, among other topics.
Girls are also trained on providing peer-to-peer psychosocial support, so they can help each other overcome challenges at home and in their community. In addition, each club has a child psychologist who can provide additional support.
The project also involves community members, including parents, boys, transportation workers, government officials and journalists. Parents attend trainings to help them support their children, learning about gender equality and positive parenting skills.
Boys participate in their own club meetings where they learn about girls’ rights and advocacy. The boys’ and girls’ clubs collaborate to plan public awareness campaigns on these topics. Transportation workers and government officials learn to act as allies for girls in public spaces, and members of the media learn how to portray girls accurately in their stories, showing their strength and leadership.
Project
stats and facts
- 800 girls
- and 400 boys are learning to inspire change.
- 100
- Ministry of Transportation workers are being trained to protect girls.
- 70
- government officials are listening to girls’ concerns so they can resolve them.
Girls take part in a mapping exercise to mark danger zones in their communities.
A girl learns self-defense skills during a girls club meeting.
Tuk tuk drivers participate in art therapy classes to learn about combating sexual harassment.
Your gift to Plan International USA will be used where needed most, to help create sustainable change and address the root causes of poverty and inequality. Donations can support programs, innovation, and infrastructure required to deliver our programs to girls and children worldwide, in areas such as protection, education, health, sanitation, disaster relief and economic empowerment.