About ADEW: Who we are
Background on female-headed households
Key Terms and Phrases
Relevant Links
ADEW Projects : Helping women help Themselves
Microfinance Program
Legal Assistance and Awareness Program
Health Program
Arab Women Speak Out
Literacy Program
Girls Dream Program
Economic empowerment is a critical step in helping women to take charge of their lives. By increasing opportunities for income and enhancing their knowledge and skills, women have the necessary means to improve their status.
The Credit Program:
When ADEW began its work in the mid eighties, research found that most credit programs required a male guarantor or requested collateral. Thus, low-income female heads of households were excluded from obtaining loans. ADEW developed an alternative credit model that accounted for these constraints.
ADEW’s credit program centers on the concept of “peer lending” instead of on traditional notions of collateral. Credit groups, normally ranging between three to five women, guarantee each other’s loans thereby freeing women from the need for a male signatory or the owning of expensive assets.
The system is successful for four reasons:
*The credit system is built on a traditional
savings model long used in Egyptian society, the “Gameya.” Women with
little experience in financial matters can understand and relate to
this particular concept.
*The successful repayment of loans by each individual
group member is a requirement for being eligible for additional loans
as a group, meaning that the social pressure to repay loans is
high.
*Credit groups require that women themselves
screen potential applicants. This is significant because 1) women
take responsibility for who they allow to join and 2) group members
have a much better idea of who is a credit risk than NGO staff.
*Credit groups provide a support mechanism
for women, and a forum for women with similar challenges to share
their experiences. Credit groups also encourage group solutions to
problems and increase cooperation among women.
Saving Scheme:
While the provision of loans is vital, so is encouraging women to save their existing money as insurance for a “rainy day.” ADEW’s saving scheme helps women understand the benefits of collective savings and the importance of having a cushion for sudden, one-time expenses like the sickness of a family member, a wedding, a death, etc.
Since 1996, ADEW has encouraged women to save at least one percent of their loan and leave it with ADEW in the name of the credit group. How the group then uses that money is up to the group to decide. However, if women save more than one percent, the money is put in a separate account in their own names.
Achievements:
“My work made me wiser, and I have become the breadwinner of my family. I intend to find a job for each of my two daughters so that they do not have to be dependent on their husbands, as I was.”
Wife of an Urzuqi, Manshiet Nasser
| *Loans totaling
L.E. 1,546,000 have been granted to 1200 groups, reaching approximately
5000 women *Loan repayment rate is 96 percent on averagev ADEW covers 70 percent of its operational costs by charging an administrative fee on 18 percent on all loans. |
The Legal Assistance Program originally began as a legal service assisting with personal status problems and conjugal matters. The program soon expanded to help women obtain official documentation and teach women their legal rights.
The lack of official documentation in the form of identity cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and divorce papers constituted a major problem for low-income women. Fully 70 percent of ADEW clients do not have ID cards. Without an ID women cannot inherit property, register assets, or apply for social security. Additionally, many poor women who face a critical lack of self-confidence would never consider undergoing the myriad of government encounters required for obtaining a card.
ADEW assists with this process by individually counseling women and filing court petitions on their behalf. Classes are also held regularly to teach women about their legal rights.
Achievements:
“Had I owned an identity card, I would have applied for a job instead of struggling on my own. Or perhaps, I could have asked for social assistance. I have always had a hard life.”
37 year-old widow, Manshiet Nasser
| *To date, the program has helped
women obtain: · 1480 ID cards · 230 birth certificates · 90 drop-out certificate · 100 death certificates · 79 marriage certificates · 115 divorce papers · 600 documents relating to pension cases *The program has opened a channel between poor women and government entities, as it invites 1) lawyers to speak to women about marriage, divorce, and labor laws and 2) clerks from the Civil Registration Authority to speak to women about the issuing of official documents. |
Low-income women suffer from a critical lack of information and resources regarding health and hygiene matters. The prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt, complications arising from marriage and childbirth at a young age, and the general absence of information on reproductive health raise serious concerns regarding women’s health. To address these problems, doctors trained ADEW staff in public health issues and conducted larger health awareness seminars in women’s homes. Doctors were also hired to provide medical advice and treatment to ADEW clients on a weekly basis.
Achievements:
| *3500 visited the doctor for a
check-up *3500 women attended health awareness seminars *1500 women received medical treatment/medicine |
A series of seminars were held that tackled
the issues of:
*Gender sensitization
*Self-confidence
*Means of decision making
*Negotiation skills
*Social support networks
*Participation in public life and positions
Achievements:
| *The program began with 10 classes
and 200 participants and soon grew to 30 classes with 600
participants *This program also prompted women to request the institution of a literacy program. |
The literacy program uses the Caritas “Taalam
Tahrir” curriculum with some variations to make the classes more
interactive and participatory. ADEW uses film-screenings, trips, informal
tests and extracurricular activities to make learning an enjoyable
experience. Currently, four functional literacy classes have been
established with a total of 150 attendees.
ADEW provides a forum for adolescent girls to come together and discuss their issues in a safe space. The Girls Dream Program is designed to acquaint girls with their peers, improve their self-image, and provide them with basic life skills training.
Five Girls Dreams classes have been established, and 150 girls are currently enrolled in the program. With ADEW staff members facilitating, the girls draw, watch plays and movies, discuss current affairs, and take educational and cultural trips. Whenever possible, the sessions are held in the girls’ houses.
To date, five girls have returned to school
after participating in Girls Dreams, and 90 girls have joined the
literacy program.