CAIRO, March 22 — Egypt’s cabinet on Sunday highlighted reforms aimed at expanding women’s economic opportunities, citing a World Bank report that ranked the country among the world’s leading reformers.
In a statement, the cabinet said the measures are designed to promote “gender equality in rights and opportunities, and eliminate all forms of discrimination against women,” while increasing female participation in national development.
The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 report noted that Egypt led global reform efforts in improving legal frameworks for women’s economic participation between October 2023 and October 2025.
The country’s score on the legal frameworks index rose nearly 10 points, from 38.75 to 48.50, following the enactment of Labor Law No. 14 of 2025.
The law removed restrictions on women working at night or in hazardous jobs, mandated equal pay for work of equal value, introduced flexible work arrangements, and expanded parental leave to 120 days for mothers and one day for fathers.
The report listed Egypt among the six economies showing the most improvement in women’s rights, alongside Madagascar, Somalia, Oman, Jordan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
