A high-level Egyptian delegation led by Raafat Chafik, assistant to the Minister of Social Solidarity, recently visited Brazil to share Egypt's experience in social protection and economic empowerment. The visit was organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ). The Egyptian delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Labor and the National Social Insurance Authority.
The visit aimed to present Egypt's experience in social protection programs, economic empowerment, and integrating social insurance services to cover the informal sector, particularly vulnerable families. The Egyptian delegation also sought to learn from Brazil's experience with the "Bolsa Família" program, one of the world's largest cash transfer programs. The Brazilian program has been successful in supporting low-income families.
During the visit, the Egyptian delegation met with representatives from Brazil's Ministries of Social Security, Development, and Labor. They learned about Brazil's digital platforms for social security services, mechanisms for exiting financial assistance, and expanding social insurance coverage to informal workers. The Egyptian delegation was impressed by Brazil's innovative approaches to social protection.
The Egyptian delegation also studied Brazil's experience with the "Cadastro Único" social registry, which allows for real-time data integration and verification through interconnection with multiple national databases. This registry has enabled Brazil to streamline its social protection services and improve targeting. Egypt's "Takaful wa Karama" program has similar goals.
Raafat Chafik presented the "Takaful wa Karama" program, which relies on a social registry identified by a national citizen ID, linked to databases of partner government and national agencies. The program has made significant progress since its launch, with the number of beneficiary families increasing from 1.7 million in 2014 to 4.7 million currently.
The Egyptian and Brazilian delegations also discussed transitioning from assistance to regular employment and aspects of women's economic empowerment. They explored ways to support women's economic participation and promote sustainable livelihoods. The exchange of experiences between Egypt and Brazil aimed to foster cooperation and knowledge sharing in social protection.
The "Takaful wa Karama" program has seen significant growth, with allocated expenditures increasing from 6.8 billion Egyptian pounds to 54 billion pounds during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The program's success has been notable, and Egypt is keen to continue learning from international best practices in social protection. The visit demonstrated Egypt's commitment to improving its social protection systems.
Key points
- Egypt's 'Takaful wa Karama' program has expanded significantly since its launch, with 4.7 million beneficiary families currently.
- The program's allocated expenditures have increased to 54 billion Egyptian pounds during the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
- The visit aimed to promote cooperation and knowledge sharing in social protection between Egypt and Brazil.
