Damietta Establishes 'Women Friendly Space' in Izbat Al Burj

Damietta has established a new ‘Women Friendly Space’ in the fishing town of Izbat Al Burj, as part of the UN Women’s ‘Safe Cities’ programme. The new multipurpose space was developed by Takween through a partnership with the Damietta governorate, the National Council for Women in Egypt, UN Women and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Egypt, using a participatory and gender-responsive approach to create an interactive, safe and open space for the local community.

The Nile-side ‘Women Friendly Space’ comes within Damietta’ larger plan to develop unsafe areas into empowering public spaces. This particular space will host a range of cultural, educational and recreational activities for the girls and women of Damietta, providing them with opportunities for social and economic empowerment. It includes areas dedicated to workshops and training, a digitally-connected reading area linked to the library, a play area for children, food kiosks, amphitheatres, and seating spaces.

The development of spaces like these reflects Damietta’s commitment to lifelong learning and sustainable development, a commitment which earned them the UNESCO Learning Cities Prize 2021 earlier this month.