The way forward

sustained growth and enabling Egypt’s full claim on its long-delayed demographic dividend.

THE WAY FORWARD

Given the scope and complexity of the proposed policy and strategic priorities, the following time frame aims to ensure optimal sequencing of implementation, harmonization and complementarity across priorities, and expectation-setting about the implementation timeline and expected results from each intervention (table 7.3).

The president’s “Decent Life Initiative,” launched in January 2019, and the “national Project for the Development of the Egyptian Family,” launched in February 2022, can be used as the platform to implement many of the proposed policies and strategies. The initiative aims “to provide a decent life for the most vulnerable groups nationwide and further contributes to enhancing the quality

TABLE 7.3 Proposed time frame for the policy and strategic priorities

Increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR)

IMMEDIATE (WITHIN 1 YEAR) SHORT–MEDIUM (1–3 YEARS) LONG-TERM (2–5 YEARS)

• Meeting unmet need • Integrating FP services in postpartum care • Improving the supply chain and quality of methods • Expanding the capacity of the

Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) to provide family planning (FP) services • Generating demand for FP use • Expanding FP services in the public sector • Reducing contraceptive discontinuation

• Engaging nonpublic-sector providers • Expanding the method mix in the public and private sector

Reducing school dropouts

Increasing female labor force participation • Reducing girls’ dropouts • Prioritizing education on sexual and reproductive health (SRH)

• Providing support services that facilitate female employment

Delaying age of marriage • Enforcing laws and policies • Engaging parents and communities • Increasing girls’ enrollment, particularly at secondary level

• Combating violence against women and girls • Creating an enabling and conducive environment for female employment • Addressing impediments in the private sector • Improving formal schooling and education opportunities for girls • Creating an enabling environment to incentivize girls’ retention in education

• Addressing the social norms and values system • Boosting women’s participation in promising new sectors

Leveraging social protection programs • Boosting the “Two Is Enough” program

Improving governance of the population program • Establishing a strong institutional framework

• Developing differentiated subnational implementation plans • Expanding coverage of the

Takaful and Karama program (TKP)

• Developing a national dashboard for the population program • Providing legal and regulatory support • Leveraging the TKP to address broader issues (such as gender violence)

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