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UNICEF Egypt
Five years of economic growth and stability, combined with substantive progress in improving the health of mothers and children, are accomplishments Egypt can take pride in.
But the same period has witnessed an increase in poverty rates, with severe consequences for women and children. Despite Government programmes to promote basic services and expand access to social protection schemes for the most vulnerable households, nearly 30 per cent of Egyptians live in monetary poverty. In parts of Upper Egypt the figure is much higher.
By 2030, Egypt’s fast-growing population will reach nearly 120 million. Around 40 per cent are children under the age of 18; 27.6 million are adolescents and youth, potentially offering a large demographic dividend for the country.
UNICEF Egypt’s Country Program 2023 – 2027 is supporting the Government of Egypt to ensure that:
- Vulnerable children and their families increasingly benefit from evidence-driven and effective anti-poverty interventions, including social protection, and increasingly practice behaviors that reduce the transmission of poverty across generations.
- Children, including adolescents, gain access to and utilize quality health care, early learning, safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); adopt nutritious diets and nurturing practices, and live in a safe and sustainable climate and environment.
- Children, adolescents, and young people, particularly the most disadvantaged, realize their right to education by accessing quality learning and skills development opportunities.
- Children -- including those on the move -- have improved access to and utilization of inclusive, rights-based and gender-responsive prevention and response services that address violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices, in an environment that promotes positive social norms.
- Adolescents and Youth (10-24yrs) with focus on the most vulnerable, are equipped, empowered and supported to transition to productive and engaged adulthood.
UNICEF Representative in Egypt
Natalia Winder Rossi serves as the UNICEF Representative in Egypt, bringing over two decades of experience leading initiatives focused on child poverty reduction, social policy and social protection, as well as public finance management for children.
Prior to her appointment in Egypt, Ms. Winder Rossi was the Director of Social Policy and Social Protection at UNICEF Headquarters in New York, where she led UNICEF’s global agenda on child poverty reduction, social protection, humanitarian cash transfers, public finance for children, and local governance. She also spearheaded UNICEF’s Global Lead on Urban Programming, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to child-friendly urban development.
Before joining UNICEF Headquarters, she led the Global Social Protection Team at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome and served as a Senior Advisor for Rural Poverty, Resilience, and Humanitarian Action. She previously held key roles in UNICEF’s Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa, where she provided technical guidance to 24 countries, strengthened strategic partnerships, and advanced HIV-sensitive social protection and resilience programming.
Ms. Winder Rossi’s career spans multiple international organizations. She has served as a Senior Social Protection Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank, focusing on education, social protection, and indigenous development. She has also worked with the Organization of American States and several national development agencies and civil society organizations.
A national of Peru, Ms. Winder Rossi holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service (International Development) from Georgetown University and a Master of Science in Social Policy (Research and Evaluation) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is the author and co-author of multiple publications, including From Evidence to Action: The Story of Cash Transfers Impact Evaluation in Sub-Saharan Africa, published by Oxford University Press.
As UNICEF Representative in Egypt, Ms. Winder Rossi is dedicated to advancing children’s rights, strengthening social protection systems, and supporting inclusive and sustainable development across the country.
