About InclusivEgypt project

According to the Global Gender Gap Report (2015) and the World Bank (2016), thirteen out of the fifteen countries with the lowest rates of the female workforce globally are in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It is estimated that this accounts for 27% of income loss due to the gap in female workforce participation. Literature suggests that the gender gap in STEM fields in Arabic universities is not as large as that observed in Western countries. However, the ratio of women in STEM fields in the industry in the Arab World is as low, if not more, as the levels observed in the Western World, indicating a substantial drop in women's representation as women move from education to employment (Mody & Suzanne, 2005). A study in Egypt remarks that while the country seems to have successfully prepared female engineers, the difficulty confronting these engineers starts after graduation when they are looking to enter the workforce (Adams & Miller, 2016).

Therefore, investigating the factors that lead to this drop is crucial for understanding and tackling the problem to minimize the gender equality gap in Egypt. This project will set up a consortium of critical stakeholders who will investigate, collect data, analyze, publish outcomes, build the capacity of relevant people, and ensure that this project delivers substantial and lasting change in gender equality. Women comprise only 6 to 10 per cent of senior managers across Egypt, KSA, and the UAE. The key to empowering females in the region is to build their capacity, train them better, make an inclusive environment, equip them with access to jobs, and ensure they have the appropriate backing, experience, and opportunities once they are working (McKinseys, 2020)

To address this complex issue, the specific project objectives are to:

• Collate and analyze gender-disaggregated data (qualitative and quantitative) to challenge policies at both HE institutional and sector levels

• Develop dialogue and networking opportunities amongst Higher Education scholars and organizations across Egypt and the UK on gender equality

• Understand the organizational, cultural, and self-imposed barriers for females in making educational and career choices

• Understanding how to support access, progression and achievement of girls and women in education and employment

• Determine improved guidance for vocational education and technical training

• Propose the development of career frameworks that support diverse workforce and skill sets

• Develop the capacity of stakeholders so that it can be replicated in their institutions, making a more significant impact.

• Disseminating the project's outcomes with a broader audience worldwide through Q1 journals and a dedicated website.

Project Deliverables

In the literature review, reasons stand out among the many economic factors, i.e., a) dominant public sector employment and weak private sector employment, b) the patriarchal structure of states in the region, and c) an inhospitable business environment for women because of the conservative nature of gender roles and the lack of support for reproductive and family costs.

Therefore, the InclusivEgypt project will aim to address these issues in different ways and through the following outcomes:

• A network of academics, industry experts, NGO, and government stakeholders to investigate this issue further and make necessary changes in their capacity.

• Collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to gain insight into the complex problem with several interlinked barriers.

• Recommendations on gender equality policies and strategies for HE and workplaces through inclusive and improved gender-responsive practices (best practice report)

• Research publications (3 minimum) in open-access high-impact journal articles to disseminate the findings with the rest of the world.

• A dedicated platform (website) to share the project findings, CPDs, relevant literature and capacity-building material for staff and students.

• Capacity building of all stakeholders to minimize the gender equality gaps in their institutions and encourage them to train their workforce on this matter.

Our Six Funded Projects on Gender Equality

In the built environment sector, one of the world’s most significant challenges still prevails – gender equality. UCEM is proud to have won SIX externally funded research grants from the British Council, which will explore this topic and could influence and champion change for gender equality. UCEM is one of the most prominent universities to research gender quality when it comes to externally funded projects, and has now received five research grants from the British Council on this topic. What’s more, through partnerships with other universities based across the world, this project has effectively become a nexus of six countries collaborating to investigate gender equality in detail.

Research is vital and is an answer to many growing issues around us today but it is extremely difficult or sometimes impossible to pursue it without dedicated funds. Therefore, the 6 prestigious and very competitive grants that we have won from the British Council worth £150,000 on the extremely important topic of Gender Equality, specifically in Brazilian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Pakistani and Vietnamese education and industry sectors will ensure the projects are delivered in this complicated area along with capacity building to create awarenessa and wider impact in these countries. These projects will set up consortiums of critical stakeholders who will investigate, collect and analyse data from partner countries, publish outcomes, build the capacity of relevant people, and ensure that this project delivers substantial and lasting change in gender equality.

Please Find more information about our current and previous projects by visitng: 

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Our Project Team

Find out about our project Team at:

The team consists of UK and Egyptian PIs:

Dr Muhammad Rana (UK): m.rana@ucem.ac.uk

Prof. Shadia Fahim(Egypt): sfahim@bue.edu.eg

Our Recent Publications (Free Access)

Explore our latest publications, results, and relevant articles in the area of Gender Equality

1. "Exploring the Underlying Barriers for the Successful Transition for Women from Higher Education to Employment in Egypt: A Focus Group Study" Social Sciences 13, no. 4: 195. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040195

2. "Factors Impacting Women Gaining Leadership Roles in the Jordanian Construction Sector: Architects and Civil Engineers" Buildings 14, no. 4: 944. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14040944

3. "Gender Equality in Architecture and Construction: An Assessment Framework at the Institutional and Sectoral Levels in Jordan" Buildings 14, no. 3: 764. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030764

4. "Sustainable Gender Equality: A Comparative Perspective on STEM Education and Employment in Jordan" Sustainability 16, no. 6: 2273. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062273

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