Exploring higher education policy reforms in different contexts: A comparative study of Australia, Canada and Egypt.

This study is concerned with exploring higher education policy and reforms enacted by three diverse countries, Australia, Canada, and Egypt, to improve the quality of education and its relevancy to job market needs. The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of similarities and differences in context and motivations for reform and the subsequent results across the three countries and thus identify the lessons learned. This, in turn, will provide an answer to the prominent question of how can Egypt benefit from the higher education reform journeys undertaken by Australia and Canada. The study employs a “simultaneous comparative analysis,” following Bereday’s four–step method: description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and simultaneous comparison. It takes into account the socio-economic context, historical background, and cultural context of each of the three countries. Next, it explores the main higher education reform initiatives, challenges and results in each country. The main findings explored in this study reveal the urgent need for quality audit procedure to assess each institution’s effectiveness in achieving its goals. It also advocates for assuring and improving the quality of higher education through building self-regulating system. The findings also learn from the Australian experience in providing vocational and technical education, which focused on providing skills for the job market. The study concludes that a quality assurance system is more powerful than accreditation system, as it focuses on student learning outcomes. There is much to learn from policy and practice in Australia to maintain and assure quality. The study recommends conducting consultation with representatives of all stakeholders prior to the development of a new program in reference to the Canadian experiences. Moreover, the role of policy and decision makers must strengthen quality assurance system in the institution internally and from an authoritative agency externally. The study recommends that Egypt prioritizes the completion of accreditation of its all higher education institutions and revisit its admission policy to HE

Do public health services in Egypt help young married women exercise their reproductive rights?

AbstractObjectiveTo assess supply and demand of family planning services from a reproductive rights perspective among young married women (YMW) in Egypt.MethodsData sources related to family planning included structured interviews with service providers (n=216); an inventory of equipment and supplies (n=40); exit interviews with YMW (n=147); and focus group discussions (n=12) with YMW, husbands, and mothers and/or mothers in law. YMW, husbands and mothers in law were not necessarily related.ResultsAlthough family planning services were readily available and affordable, YMW had limited access to information and services. Shortfalls were noted regarding respect for privacy, choice of family planning method, access to fertility services, and premarital counseling. Few YMW had sufficient autonomy to make informed reproductive decisions. Effective accountability mechanisms and processes for redress were also lacking.ConclusionImplementation of a rights-based approach and structural changes to family planning service delivery are recommended to empower YMW in Egypt to demand and exercise their reproductive rights

Understanding married women\u27s vulnerability to HIV infection in Egypt: An exploratory study

This study examines the behavioral, sociocultural, economic, programmatic, and legal factors that aggravate Egyptian women’s vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS. The study concludes that in low-prevalence settings like Egypt, targeted interventions are the most strategic and cost-effective: for example, HIV awareness-raising with a special focus on the preventive role of consistent, correct condom use, and creating a cadre of peers that could provide psychosocial support and HIV counseling to migrant workers. Furthermore, premarital and antenatal care programs should include HIV awareness-raising and provider-initiated counseling and testing after screening of women to identify those at risk for HIV infection. Concurrently, efforts should be made to empower women (e.g., through microloans or vocational training) as well as addressing inequitable gender norms and revisiting legislation and policies that discriminate against women and exacerbate their vulnerability to HIV

Sexual and reproductive health of women living with HIV in Egypt: Unmet needs and unfulfilled dreams

The gender profile of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed since it emerged 30 years ago when infections were concentrated in key populations of men such as injecting drug users and men who have sex with men. In 2012, women accounted for nearly 50 percent of the estimated 35.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS globally. In the Middle East and North Africa, 44 percent of infected adults are women. The past 30 years have also witnessed remarkable improvements in access to high-quality information and medical services, including services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the virus. With care and treatment for HIV/AIDS becoming more accessible, women living with HIV have become healthier, live longer, and make plans for a future that includes parenting. While many programs have focused on preventing mother-to-child transmission, the rights of women living with HIV to fulfill their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs have been greatly overlooked. This study explores the SRH needs of women living with HIV in Egypt and identifies the challenges they face in achieving their reproductive goals. The study aims to inform changes to policy and spur new programming that will lead to more comprehensive and compassionate care for women living with HIV

ADAPTING MERITED AND AWARD-WINNING BUILDINGDSPERMITTED LEVELS AND NON-NEGOTIABLE VALUES: THE CASE OF THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA, ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

The practice of launching international architectural design competitions to key and important buildings in Egypt is not a new trend. Once built, those award-winning buildings usually undergo a modification process either by their owners or occupants. Owners or occupants always modify these buildings so that their performance would be adapted to certain local parameters. These modifications, however, may touch upon some of the original qualities that had donated those designs merits and recognitions at the time of their selection as prize winners. Many of these significant award-winning buildings might be considered as modern heritage resources, thus developing another layer of significance that might also influence the appropriateness of any modifications undertaken to them. This paper presents an overview on how some buildings have been altered. The aim was to infer the architectural qualities which were affected by the modification processes, and attempt to define some non-negotiable parameters that should be preserved in such buildings in order to keep their architectural merits. The research tried to answer the following questions: - Is it ethical, professional or legal to modify an award winning architectural project? - Are there regulations or codes of practice that control and/or prohibit modifications of certain architectural qualities in award-winning buildings? The paper also tried to examine the various heritage values that might be satisfied by the case study, which is the Library of Alexandria, and to examine the influences of these values on the adaptability of the modern alterations to the Library. The findings of the study, in relation to the new addition to the Library of Alexandria as a modern heritage resource, indicated that the addition was found to contribute positively towards some heritage values, such as the use value, and was also found to contribute negatively towards other values, such as the townscape value. The study recommends that the regulations of the international and local architectural competitions should explicitly involve guidelines that help in guiding architects while designing modern additions to such award-winning buildings, so as to guarantee the survival of the qualities that allowed these buildings the chance to win these awards

Scaling up the provision of family planning messages in antenatal and postpartum services in Upper Egypt

An operations research study by the Population Council’s FRONTIERS program in 20 facilities in Upper Egypt showed that integration of birth spacing messages into antenatal and postpartum care was feasible, acceptable to women and their husbands, and was associated with increased postpartum contraception. This report describes the initial and scale-up phases, their outcomes, challenges, and recommendations for improvement. In addition to successfully scaling up the program, the main achievement was securing the support and investment of senior MoHP officials at the central level, as well as the support and commitment of managers and supervisors at governorate and district levels. The report recommends more assistance to help MoHP adopt and integrate healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy messages in different programs

Seminar on male involvement in reproductive health in Egypt: Summary of research findings and future directions

As more work in the area of male involvement in reproductive health (RH) is expected in Egypt, it is important that researchers and donor agencies become aware of existing studies, topics covered, and main research findings so duplication can be avoided. It is also important that policymakers and program managers learn about the results of existing studies so they can use those results in designing more effective policies to increase male involvement in Egypt. To address this need, the Population Council’s ANE OR/TA Project organized a seminar on “Disseminating Results of Research on Male Involvement in Reproductive Health in Egypt” held on May 4–5, 1998, in Alexandria. Participants included key researchers, program managers, policymakers, and donors. The two-day meeting included plenary sessions as well as discussion groups. The main themes were husband-wife communication and decision-making about FP/RH, perceptions of sexuality, involving men as partners in RH, RH needs of adolescents, and future directions in programs and research to increase male involvement in RH. This report is a summary of the presentations along with comments and suggestions that were made on each topic

Important lessons on FGM/C abandonment from four research studies in Egypt

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) continues to be a widespread practice in Egypt. According to the 2014 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey, the prevalence of FGM/C was 92 percent among ever-married women aged 15–49. However, Egypt continues to witness a drastic surge in the medicalization of FGM/C, with 74 percent of women aged 19 years and younger circumcised by medical practitioners, compared to 55 percent in 1995. This policy brief provides key results and recommendations of four studies conducted by the Population Council/ Egypt under the Evidence to End FGM/C project, in coordination with Egypt’s National Population Council. The four studies investigated the process through which families reach a decision on FGM/C; study the impact of FGM/C campaigns on the perspectives surrounding the practice; examine the characteristics of abandoners and challenges they face in maintaining their position; and understand the drivers of the medicalization of the practice. The ultimate goal of the studies, conducted between 2016 and 2019, is to assist the National Taskforce for Ending Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision in developing evidence-based policies and programs to accelerate the abandonment of FGM/C

Do public health services in Egypt help women exercise their reproductive rights?

These slides present results from a Population Council study conducted in Egypt aimed at identifying factors that prevent Egyptian couples from attainment of their reproductive goals using a rights-based, gender-sensitive analysis of family planning service demand and supply. The analysis focused on six aspects of clients’ rights: clinic/provider readiness, accessibility and affordability, privacy and confidentiality, choice and autonomy, informed decisionmaking, and the right to complain. The presentation concludes with recommendations for closing gaps that exist with regard to protection of clients’ rights to autonomy, choice, informed decisionmaking, privacy, and confidentiality