Government and NGO surveys estimate that 20-40% of all households in Egypt are female-headed households (FHH). A FHH, as defined by The Association for the Development and Enhancement of Woman is a household in which a woman is the primary economic contributor to the family and/or represents her family legally and socially within the community.
An overwhelming amount of social science research indicates that FHHs are an especially vulnerable segment of the population and in Cairo's poor communities the situation is particularly desperate.
Women attending litteracy classes in MottamadeyaA few months ago we met Mariam, a 50 year old lady residing in the "garbage neighbourhood" of Mottamadeya . Garbage neighbourhoods are neighbourhoods that depend on garbage-processing as their primary industry. Recently it has been partly dismantled after new adjacent residential areas were built nearby. Despite her age, Mariam is trying to learn how to read and write by attending literacy classes held in her local Gamaeya , a community development association founded during the Naser era. Her decision stems from her need to be capable of managing her household affairs in all aspects, including handling documents. Her words helped us to understand what kind of social and economical changes are now facing the elder and younger generations of Mottamadeya . Here the collapse of the garbage-processing industry has forced men to leave home in search of work, leaving women solely responsible for their homes.
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