Cairo: The National Council for Women (NCW), in cooperation with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), organized four two-day workshops for 150 community leaders and rural women leaders in the governorates of Assiut and Sohag. The workshops aimed to strengthen their capacity to raise awareness of women's rights and address issues of violence against women within local communities. The workshops were held as part of the "Social and Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Assiut and Sohag" program, implemented by the National Council for Women in partnership with UN Women and with support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the training aimed to enhance the skills of community leaders and provide them with the knowledge needed to raise awareness of women's rights, prevent violence, handle cases, and refer them to the relevant authorities. This contributes to building communities that are more aware of and better equipped to address various forms of violence against women.

The first day's training covered the Women's Complaints Office, its mandate, and the services it provides, in addition to raising awareness of the risks of online violence and reviewing women's social and economic rights from both legal and societal perspectives. The workshops also addressed the role of rural women leaders and community leaders in promoting women's rights and preventing violence while providing training in community communication, positive influence, and behavior change.

The second day focused on clarifying the role of rural women leaders and the limits of their responsibilities when dealing with cases of violence against women, as well as introducing the national coordination system and its mechanisms for working with service providers. The training also included practical exercises and case studies to familiarize participants with case referral and response mechanisms, along with identifying lessons learned and developing plans to sustain the training outcomes and maintain their impact within local communities in Assiut and Sohag.