The Electronic Portal Project

As an example of public private partnership for development, a cooperation agreement was signed between NCW and IBM with the aim of enhancing women's skills in the area of information technology. The first stage of the project involved the creation of a training center for young female graduates on the skills of computers as part of an integrated program implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Various specialized computer courses are provided through this program and supervised by the Information and Documentation Center of NCW.

The second stage of the project, currently underway, involves the creation of an electronic portal, entitled “Women’s Forum", which will hopefully become a nucleus for providing Egyptian and Arab women with opportunities for progress. The portal will provide the type of information, research and studies that might be needed by researchers and those interested in women's issues in general. The portal also provides various, services specific to women including training and e-marketing services, providing responses to women's queries and complaints as well as informing them of the legislations pertaining personal status and work issues.

The portal serves as a forum for civil society organizations and the national constitutional institutions concerned with women's issues.

The experimental model of the portal was inaugurated on 8 June 2006 in the presence of a high-level delegation from IBM, followed by a press conference.