Every year on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements of women around the world. Yet, in Egypt, the celebration feels incomplete when looking at the stark reality of workplace inequality.

Despite making up a significant portion of the educated workforce, Egyptian women remain shockingly underrepresented in leadership positions.

Women hold only 12–14 percent of managerial roles, while men continue to dominate executive positions, boardrooms, and decision-making spaces (CAPMAS, 2023).

Even in female-dominated fields like education and healthcare, the highest-paying leadership positions are overwhelmingly occupied by men.

The gender pay gap in Egypt stands at 35 percent—meaning women not only earn less but also struggle to access promotions and leadership roles (World Economic Forum, 2023).

This is not just a paycheck issue. It is a systemic problem that holds back both women and Egypt’s economic progress.

Why Are Women Being Held Back?

Biased Hiring and Promotion Practices

The hiring process is already stacked against women. A 2022 study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) found that women in Egypt are 46 percent less likely to be promoted than their male colleagues, even when they have the same qualifications.

In many industries—especially finance, engineering, and technology—job postings openly favor male candidates. Employers often assume that women will eventually leave their jobs due to marriage or family obligations, leading to less investment in their career progression.

In the public sector, for example, only 7 percent of executive leadership roles are held by women, despite women making up 45 percent of the public workforce (CAPMAS, 2023).

The Gendered Wage Structure

Even in fields where women outnumber men, they still earn significantly less and struggle to break into leadership roles.

• In healthcare, female doctors earn 24 percent less than male doctors working in the same hospital (CAPMAS, 2022).
• In education, women represent 67 percent of Egypt’s teachers, yet men hold 80 percent of school principal positions (UNESCO, 2023).
• In finance and banking, more than 50 percent of business and finance graduates are women, yet they make up only 10 percent of executive banking roles (World Bank, 2023).

This occupational segregation keeps women in lower-paying, lower-status roles, limiting their career growth.

Workplace and Cultural Barriers

Networking and professional circles often play a significant role in career advancement. In many industries, promotions, mentorship programs, and high-profile projects depend on informal connections, where men tend to recommend and promote each other.

A study by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (2023) found that 83 percent of women in corporate settings reported being passed over for promotions in favor of less-experienced male colleagues.

Workplace policies also fail to support women’s career growth.

• Maternity leave in Egypt is only 90 days and partially paid, falling below the International Labour Organization’s standard of 14 weeks.
• Paternity leave is nonexistent, reinforcing the expectation that women alone must manage childcare, which often affects their career trajectory.

This International Women’s Day, Real Change Needs to Happen

The conversation about workplace equality cannot stop at raising awareness. Concrete steps must be taken to ensure Egyptian women have the same opportunities for success as men.

• Stronger equal pay and promotion laws.
  • Egypt’s labor law does not explicitly require private-sector employers to ensure equal pay for equal work. Legal protections must be strengthened and strictly enforced.
• Transparency in salaries and hiring.
  • Companies should be required to disclose salary data and gender pay differences to ensure accountability.
• Better parental leave policies.
  • Expanding maternity leave, introducing paternity leave, and implementing flexible work arrangements would help reduce discrimination against working mothers.
• Diversity quotas for leadership roles.
  • Countries that enforce gender quotas in boardrooms see significant increases in female leadership representation (McKinsey, 2023).

If gender gaps in leadership and employment were closed, Egypt’s economy could grow by up to 34 percent (World Bank, 2023).

This International Women’s Day, the focus should not just be on celebrating achievements, but on demanding change. Pay and promotion equity are not just about fairness—they are essential for national economic progress.

What do you think? Have you faced workplace challenges as a woman in Egypt? Let us know your thoughts.