The Scientific Association for Egyptian Women is a non-profit organization that was established in 1978 as the Scientific Association for Arab Women. The association focuses on the improving the effectiveness of Sciences and Technology in promoting socio-economic development, and is concerned with ensuring the active participation of women in all phases of the development activities.
The SAEW conducts its activities under the umbrella of the National Research Centre (NRC), that enables it to flexibly use its infrastructure as well as its human resources in facing development problems by interdisciplinary research teams.

Objectives

• Promoting the community awareness to positive role of the advancement in scientific and technological applications.

• Emphasizing the role of women in community development and providing them with the appropriate technological skills, Information Technology, in particular.

• Using the advanced developments in Information Technology to promote and integrate conventional technological applications in urban and rural community development programs.

• Establishing a liaison and linking communities with research centers and universities, that are the main source of appropriate innovative technologies in the form of prototypes and solutions for environmental, agricultural, industrial (SMEs), and health problems.

Activities

Advocacy and awareness raising to the importance of S&T in our daily life as well as in community development by conducting seminars, conferences and training workshops to various target groups; researchers, politicians, media, community leaders, students …etc.

Conducting model projects that emphasize and are practical examples to the role S&T can play in the process of community development.

I- Projects

A project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Science and Technology in 1979 to introduce solar heater in new houses of some Egyptian villages. Some mosques in the villages have been provided by solar cells that activate the sound magnifiers. The social aspects of the project were conducted in collaboration with the SocialResearch Center of the American University in Cairo. The project also provided a health unit with solar energy for the refrigerator, light, and other medical equipment.

The SAEW participated in the Biogas project that was conducted in Manawat village in Giza. The biogas was used as a clean fuel for fermenting the organic waste.

A project in collaboration with the Medicinal Plants Department, National Research Centre for drying the excess of fruits and vegetables by solar dryers and the preservation of their nutritive values.

The participation in development projects in the Oasis of Siwa implemented by the Ministry of Defense. The SAEW submitted a proposal to the First Lady to establish a line of production by women working in their homes to improve use the local natural resources, as olives and palm trees.

II- Training
Several training workshops under the theme: “Technology and Rural Development” to staff working in rural development programs. The workshops were conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Social and Criminal Research Center. Some workshops were conducted outside Egypt.

The first Scientific Conference entitled: “Women, Technology and Development” for the public orientation to the role of women in the integrated development process through her participation in activities related to agriculture, industry, scientific research, drug industry, medical technologies, food technologies, and the use of new and renewable energy.