Egyptian Women in Work: Between Barriers and Dreams

Marina, a stay-at-home mother of two daughters, looks below at the bustling streets of east Cairo, June 26, 2022. "I dream of opening a beauty salon, but I can't find the time and my own financial resources to do so," she said.

As dinner boils on the stove, Marina helps one daughter with her homework and teaches the alphabet to the other, in Cairo, June 26, 2022.

Marina cleans her Cairo home, June 26, 2022. The International Labor Organization's latest statistics on Egypt's workforce show that while more than 67% of men are employed, some 18% of women are wage earners, including both the formal and informal sectors.

Omu Abanoub, a rug weaver and single mother of two, says even though she only makes an average of $80 a month, she still dreams of opening her own business. She is seen in east Cairo, June 27, 2022.

After finishing work at the rug factory, Omu Abanoub joins her family to recycle trash for extra income, in east Cairo, June 26, 2022.

Doaa, a psychologist and certified meditation coach, offers affordable sessions to the public, in Cairo, June 5, 2022. "Most of my clients are young women who are facing social and financial pressures," she says.

"My family always advises me against working late or in secluded places," psychologist and certified meditation coach Doaa says, in Cairo, June 5, 2022. According to rights groups like the U.N. and Amnesty International, Egypt's women and girls face an epidemic of sexual violence — a barrier to workforce participation.

Radwa, an aspiring fashion designer, sorts items from her handmade, convertible clothing line for working- and middle-class women, in downtown Cairo, June 15, 2022. She says financial barriers stand between her and the growth of her business.

"My industry is dominated by men, and if you want to make it, you have to work for them," says Aya, a wedding and party planner, in Cairo, June 15, 2022. "Now, I'm working independently, taking it step by step, and I believe I'll make it on my own."

Newly appointed female judges join their all-male counterparts past and present on Egypt's State Council, one of the country's top courts, in Cairo, March 5, 2022. Meanwhile, the scales of equality and safety are still tipped against women nationwide.