Egypt to Provide EGP 1,000 Annually for Egyptian Women to Curb Population Growth

The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance signed a cooperation protocol to provide financial incentives for Egyptian families, Egypt’s Cabinet of Ministers announced on Tuesday, 14 March.

The protocol falls under the National Project for Development of the Egyptian Family (NPDEF), which aims to address the overpopulation crisis through economically empowering women and reducing women’s unmet needs of reproductive health.

To provide financial incentives, the NPDEF will provide EGP 1,000 (33 USD) annually for each married woman aged between 21 to 45 with two children, though her right to receive the sum of money is forfeited if she gives birth to a third child. Women will also be required to perform periodic health examinations, receive reproductive health services, as well as get access to job opportunities.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated that the NPDEF, which was launched in February 2022, is a comprehensive development project that aims to also provide education, health, job opportunities, and economic empowerment services over three years (2021-2023).

Soaring inflation and a severely weakened currency has deepened Egypt’s economic crisis, leading many to cut back on life’s basic essentials. Many Egyptians have expressed that their standard of living has radically dropped. 

Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that the government would raise the minimum salary for government employees to EGP 3,500 (USD 113), paying an additional EGP 150 billion (USD 4.8 billion)  to the social protection package.