Aswan girls speak up through "Dawwie"

The national initiative is empowering young girls

Dalia Younis
The national initiative is empowering young girls
UNICEF/Egypt 2021/Ahmed Mostafa
01 June 2021

Today, Egypt is home to 19 million girls under the age of 20, each looking for an opportunity to achieve her ambitions and to reach her full potential.

Dawwie is The National Girls’ Empowerment Initiative promoting girls’ voices, access to skills and essential services. Dawwie is led by the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in partnership with National Council for Women, with technical support from UNICEF and in collaboration with many partners. In the Arabic language, "Dawwie" is a verb that translates to “loud voice with an impact and echo”.

The initiative is currently implemented in over 21governorates. In this photo essay, we take a look at the start of the empowerment journey with a Dawwie storytelling circle taking place in Aswan, Upper Egypt to learn more on the initiative and listen to the voices of Aswan girls who actively engaged in this circle.

The national initiative is empowering young girls
UNICEF/Egypt 2021/Ahmed Mostafa
In a Dawwie Storytelling Circle, a group of young girls and boys from different backgrounds connect together through the power of storytelling. Participants can speak and have their voices heard in a safe space and provide support to one another. They can share personal stories or their takes on different topics such as girls’ rights and future aspirations.
The national initiative is empowering young girls
UNICEF/Egypt 2021/Ahmed Mostafa
Raghad is one of the regular "Dawwie" Ambassadors in Aswan. She believes that everyone needs to engage, not just girls. Repeated disappointment by family and friends is, according to Raghad, the main reason why many girls don't talk. About "Dawwie", she says: "The greatest thing Dawwie provides for every girl is making her feel comfortable and reassured. She feels that there's someone who's ready to listen, discuss and actively participate."
The national initiative is empowering young girls
UNICEF/Egypt 2021/Ahmed Mostafa
Girls discuss topics and issues that matter to them on body integrity, skills and aspirations, support system, and health &wellbeing. The circle later gets bigger – and echoes- to include intergenerational dialogues with parents and interaction with community through interactive community theatres and community- based activities. The idea is to engage everyone in the empowerment journey to ensure girls are supported and heard! Dawwie facilitates this journey so their voices are carried all the way to policy makers whether on ground or in the digital sphere with interactive child friendly Dawwie digital platforms.
The national initiative is empowering young girls
UNICEF/Egypt 2021/Ahmed Mostafa
Sama, a 13-year-old from Aswan, thinks that there are many girls whose rights are not attained. She says: "The world is made of a girl and a boy. Both can talk and work hard. Why should only one of them get the credits?!" What attracted Sama's attention to "Dawwie" when she first attended was that someone cared about girls that much. She felt a 'family atmosphere' during the session that encouraged everyone to talk and listen.
The national initiative is empowering young girls
UNICEF/Egypt 2021/Ahmed Mostafa
Hend was very proud of the Dawwie mural of her face painted by a friend over the walls of the NGO where she participates in Dawwie in Aswan. The mural also held the tagline, your story completes theirs, as a symbol to the chain reaction of stories being told and listened to. One day, she found the mural disfigured by some extremist claiming it was against Islam. "The mural next to it was untouched because it was for a male celebrity," Hend said, "I think they were intimidated by mine because I am a girl, not because of religion." This incident, though, did not stop her from attending the circle and speaking up.
The national initiative is empowering young girls
UNICEF/Egypt 2021/Ahmed Mostafa
Although the main target group for Dawwie are girls and boys between 10-18 years, there is a focus on the importance of involving families and communities in the process of girl empowerment. In the photo, a concurrent parents meeting is taking place to discuss parenting challenges and later engage in an intergenerational dialogue with young girls and boys.