NCW products at COP27 showcase women’s efforts in preserving environment

The National Council for Women (NCW) is participating at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), which is hosted in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from November 6-18, showcasing sustainable products made by local women. 

Jusoor Post talked with Nouran El-Gemaay, Head of Marketing and PR at the Business Development Center affiliated to the Egyptian National Council for Women, about the activities sponsored by NCW at COP27’s Green Zone. 

“The Council has participated at COP27 for many reasons, among which is showcasing the outcome of the Egyptian family development project. The project has targeted 52 workshops and productive units in 20 Egyptian governorates in the first phase,” she said, adding, “The project aimed at training local women on developing their handicraft skills in order to make handmade products and improve their income. We provided 52,000 women with trainings.”

El-Gemaay told Jusoor Post that this project is under the umbrella of the presidential initiative “Hayah Karima”. The project includes many handmade products such as soap, candles, puppets, rugs, bags, and pottery. The project’s goal is to reach as much diversity as possible, as well as inspiring the trainers to use materials from their surrounding environment in their villages. 

“There is another project funded by the European Union; three workshops in three governorates,” El Gemaay said “The workshops produce environment-friendly products that reflect illegal immigration. We trained women in those governorates to make sustainable products.” 

Some women from three governorates - Gharbia, Luxor and Beni Suef - are showing their products at COP27 in person. This project also helps these women to acquire skills to have fixed monthly incomes. 

“The third project hosted by our booth at COP27 is showcasing the products of startups and businesses owned by Egyptian women,” El-Gemaay added.

It is worth mentioning that those businesses depend on sustainable, environment-friendly and organic materials to manufacture products such as shampoos, oils and recycled bags without using any artificial materials or colors. 

“We are hosting 42 business women and showcasing 5,000 products at COP27. We have data including businesses owned by women in our Women's Skills Development Department’s database, and we help them in marketing their products in exhibitions and many channels,” El-Gemaay stressed.