The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has participated in the “Women in Tech Summit” event, organized by Microsoft within the framework of the celebration of International Women’s Day.

The ICT Minister emphasized that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has launched several initiatives and programs to support and empower Egyptian women and girls using ICT. These initiatives aim to create the appropriate environment to spread and promote entrepreneurship among women, such as the “Qodwa-Tech” and “Heya Raeda” initiatives. He referred to women’s strong participation in the “Future Work is Digital” (FWD) initiative, which aims to increase the number of freelancers to serve the Egyptian market and export digital services.

The Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, the Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, the General Manager of Microsoft Egypt Mirna Arif, and United States (US) Deputy Chief of Mission Nicole Shampaine attended the Summit. This is in addition to the wide participation of the officials of governmental and private sectors, civil society, and the business sector.

At the beginning of his speech, Talaat extended his greetings and appreciation to all attending women. He expressed his happiness to be present in this event, which includes several women leaders working in the ICT sector, being proud of the capabilities of Egyptian women.

Talaat explained that the percentage of women working in the ICT sector has reached more than 35% and up to 40%, while women leaders in MCIT constitute the majority of leaders. This reflects the ability of Egyptian women to compete and excel in their knowledge and creativity. Furthermore, the ICT sector was keen on the continuity of this matter.

The ICT Minister indicated that the ICT industry is suitable for Egyptian women, especially in the current era. This industry is based on creative thought, which has always been a feature characteristic of Egyptian women in all aspects of their lives.

The ICT techniques also provide women with the flexibility to work remotely. Accordingly, women can choose the appropriate time and place to work. This flexibility will allow them to fulfill their obligations towards social and family responsibilities. Talaat pointed out that ancient Egyptians took “Seshat” as an icon of data storage. Consequently, MCIT took this icon as a logo to acknowledge the role of women and in appreciation of the importance of data and information.

The ICT Minister mentioned that within the framework of MCIT participation in implementing the “Decent Life” presidential initiative, programs to spread digital culture and digital economic empowerment are being implemented in villages to promote digital literacy and develop the digital skills of citizens. One of the most significant objectives of these programs is to empower women in the Egyptian countryside to achieve the utmost benefit from ICT to develop their skills, acquire knowledge and obtain excellent job opportunities.

At the end of his speech, the ICT Minister congratulated the present women on the celebration of Egyptian Women’s Day, which is of special importance for coinciding with an anniversary on which Egyptian women claimed the nation’s right to independence for the first time. This indicates that women are the mainstay of the Egyptian family and the symbol of sacrifice.