By Chaden Moataz | Projects Manager
Dear Friends and Supporters,
When women walk into a health facility, they should feel safe.
They should feel respected.
And above all, they should feel heard.
Yet for many women in Egypt—especially those living in marginalized and rural communities—seeking sexual and reproductive health services is often accompanied by fear, stigma, or silence. Fear of judgment. Fear of misinformation. Fear that their concerns will not matter.
The Women Friendly Services (WFS) Project was created to change that reality. And thanks to your support, it has become one of Shamseya’s most impactful and enduring interventions.
Why Women Friendly Services Matter
Access to sexual and reproductive health is not only about availability—it is about experience. A service may exist, but if a woman feels shamed, dismissed, or misunderstood, she is unlikely to return.
WFS was designed around a simple belief:
Health services must be built around women—not the other way around.
Since its launch in 2018, the project has worked to transform how sexual and reproductive health services are delivered, ensuring they are respectful, inclusive, evidence-based, and responsive to women’s lived realities.
What We Have Achieved Together
Over the past years, and with the collaboration of the Ministry of Health and Population, the National Population Council, and the Ministry of Social Solidarity, Shamseya has supported the rollout and strengthening of Women Friendly Services across seven governorates, including underserved areas in Upper Egypt.
Together, we have:
Through interactive trainings, practical tools, and community engagement approaches, WFS moved beyond theory into everyday practice inside health facilities.
A Shift You Can Feel
What makes Women Friendly Services powerful is not only numbers—it is change you can feel.
Women report feeling more comfortable asking questions.
Health providers listen more carefully.
Conversations once avoided are now possible.
By addressing both technical knowledge and attitudes, the project helped create safer spaces for women to seek care—spaces where dignity, confidentiality, and bodily autonomy are respected.
Strengthening Systems, Not Just Services
WFS was never meant to be a standalone intervention. From the beginning, it was embedded within national systems, aligned with public health priorities, and designed to be scalable and sustainable.
By working hand in hand with government institutions and community actors, the project contributes to:
Looking Ahead
As we move forward, Women Friendly Services remains a cornerstone of Shamseya’s work. The lessons learned, partnerships built, and trust established through this project continue to shape new interventions—whether in digital health, mental health, or community-based SRHR outreach.
This project stands as proof that when services are designed with empathy and accountability, women show up—and their health outcomes improve.
With Gratitude
To our donors and supporters: your trust has helped turn health facilities into spaces of care rather than fear. You have helped ensure that thousands of women receive not only services, but respect.
Thank you for believing in women—and in systems that work for them.
Wishing you a blissful end of the year,
The Shamseya Team
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