Marking 10th anniv. of Youth Empowerment and Population Awareness Programme

By Mohamed Moussa and Ayman Roshdi

Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber attended on Monday a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the launch of the “Youth Empowerment and Population Awareness Programme”. 

The occasion was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi, along with the Governors of Giza and Qalyubyia, the Canadian Ambassador to Egypt, and representatives of the Ministry of Health. 

Saber emphasised the political leadership’s interest in youth empowerment programmes and raising health awareness among them, as well as co-operating with organisations that offer awareness programmes for youth, considering them a fundamental pillar for achieving the goals of Egypt’s Vision 2030. 

He noted that youth centers play a significant role in raising awareness of community issues and enhancing youth awareness of population issues to achieve sustainable development goals, particularly regarding health, education, and gender equality.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports launched the Youth Empowerment and Population Awareness Programme within the Population Clubs in 2014, supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and in partnership with the Development Advisory Foundation “Etigah”.

 The programme aims to contribute to enhancing community awareness about population issues, sustainable development, and activating the role of youth centers in raising awareness of population issues.

The Population Clubs programme works on empowering youth and raising awareness of youth and adolescent health, as well as combating violence against women.

Over the course of 10 years, the programme has expanded to reach 431 population clubs in 27 governorates across Egypt.

Training on population issues, reproductive health, early marriage, child marriage, harmful practices, and gender-based violence is conducted within youth centers through various activities such as interactive sessions, storytelling and singing groups, and sports activities targeting the age group from 18 to 35 years.