By Manal Abdel Fattah
Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, and Engineer Nevin Othman, Head of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, signed the “National Initiative to Empower Children” agreement, in the presence of Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation.
In his speech, Ambassador Christian Berger, head of the European Union delegation to Egypt, said that the European Union and the National Council for Childhood have a long history of joint work for more than a decade of cooperation on issues such as protecting children from violence in schools and preserving the rights of children with disabilities and female rights, especially education.
Ambassador Berger continued, “The European Union’s support for the National Child Empowerment Initiative reflects another commitment through which important issues are addressed such as improving the provision of child-friendly services and promoting positive behavioral change through positive parenting techniques.”
The initiative, funded within the framework of bilateral cooperation between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the European Union, aims to improve the provision of child protection services, promote positive behavioral change, and provide a supportive environment for girls and boys to develop their skills and obtain services.
This is done by developing the capabilities of relevant parties with regard to providing child-friendly services and promoting positive parenting techniques. The initiative will also support 300 children, 70 parents, and 70 teachers and specialists from 4 governorates, and promote the development of a unified training curriculum to be used in training all workers involved in child protection services.
For her part, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, stressed the depth of the relationship between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the European Union and its importance in enhancing development efforts in Egypt in various priority areas, especially enhancing investment in human capital, which is a top priority for the state.
She explained that the Ministry of International Cooperation is working in coordination with relevant parties to expand investment programs in human capital, empowering youth, girls and women, and protecting children in a way that benefits citizens and development efforts in general.
Engineer Nevin Othman, President of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, said that the initiative seeks to support the child’s right to participate, through the implementation of innovative programs and initiatives, pointing out that the implementation of this initiative will be based in its strategy on the components of the “National Initiative to Empower Girls Dowie,” which is being implemented under the patronage of Mrs. Intisar Al-Sisi, wife of the President of the Republic.
The initiative will work to enhance the protection of children’s rights through education, awareness and community participation, with a focus on raising the awareness of social workers and activity teachers, as well as supporting child protection services provided to children at risk by preparing a unified and approved training manual for all workers involved in providing these services, and creating an environment Positive and supportive of girls and boys to develop their skills, obtain services, and create an understanding and prosperous society.
