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Four panelists sit in front of a screen, while one person presents

Promoting healthy behaviors and family planning in Egypt: A recap from the Global Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Seminar

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J-PAL MENA at AUC co-hosted a seminar with UNICEF Egypt on February 22, 2022 to share global evidence on fertility and family planning to promote healthy behaviors and curb population growth in Egypt. This seminar was the fifth in a broader Global Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Seminar Series.
Panelists for the roundtable event.

Toward an evidence-informed development agenda for Egypt: Fostering government-research partnerships

On November 15, 2021, J-PAL MENA at AUC co-hosted a roundtable discussion with UNICEF Egypt titled, "Towards an evidence-informed development agenda for Egypt: Fostering government-research partnerships."
Four people wearing masks sit in a row on chairs. The person on the far right is speaking into a microphone.

Providing financial and in-kind assistance improves living standards for all but for some more than others: Evidence from a randomized evaluation conducted in Upper Egypt

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  • Adham Hamdy
Sawiris Foundation for Social Development hosted a seminar on Sunday, September 12 in collaboration with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Middle East and North Africa based at The American University in Cairo to discuss findings of a study conducted on the effects of loans and grants on...
Training staff posing for a group photo in Cairo, Egypt

Catalyzing the use of evidence for effective business training and finance in Egypt

Alison Fahey and Lobna Kassim reflect on the successful partnership between J-PAL MENA at AUC and the MSME Development Agency to create a culture of evidence-based program and policy design.
Adam Osman presents in front of a J-PAL MENA banner

Affiliate Spotlight: Adam Osman

Adam Osman is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Co-Scientific Director at J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Adam’s work using randomized evaluations to test theories about improving the lives of the poor serves to fill the gap in...
Hana speaks at a podium in front of a banner

Bringing data into Moroccan policymaking

In this post, Hana Lakhdar Gazal (Deputy Director, Morocco Employment Lab) describes her past work with the Moroccan government to institutionalize data-driven policymaking and how it inspired her to pursue this further at J-PAL.
A smiling girl holds a piece of paper.

Shifting social and gender norms for improved development outcomes: A recap from the Global Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Webinar

While Egypt has made some progress towards gender equality and girls’ and women's empowerment, traditional gender roles and power dynamics continue to persist. Egypt has one of the highest gender gaps in the world, ranking 134th out of 153 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender...
A woman wearing a hijab sits typing at a computer

Improving female labor force participation in MENA

Female labor force participation in MENA is the lowest globally. Evidence from recent randomized evaluations conducted in MENA help shed light on some reasons why participation rates are so low and what types of policies could help increase them.