Volunteers with an open mind, and a flexible attitude can make a real impact on the lives of women in Egypt. This program focuses on helping women develop new skills and gain knowledge that can improve their job prospects and independence. Areas of support may include language development, professional skills, and confidence-building activities.

Project details

Empower women in Cairo through skill development and expanded opportunities. Volunteer at local community centers and NGOs to share your experiences and inspire women with limited exposure outside their own communities. Your support can make a real difference in their lives.

What to expect and how you'll make an impact

This initiative fosters a secure and encouraging learning space for women to develop and discover new possibilities. Recognizing cultural sensitivities in specific regions of Egypt, this project exclusively welcomes female volunteers.

Many Egyptian women experience challenges like poverty, unemployment, and restricted educational access, affecting their families. To combat these issues, various programs offer educational opportunities and vocational training, empowering women to find employment, achieve financial independence, and provide for their families.

As a Women’s Education volunteer in Egypt, you will contribute to local centers focused on enhancing the educational and professional capabilities of women and girls, fostering their self-reliance. Given the cultural importance of food in Egypt, some initiatives also involve teaching women commercial cooking skills for income generation.

Your volunteer tasks will be shaped by your abilities, Arabic language skills, and the duration of your commitment. While Women’s Empowerment volunteer roles can differ, common activities include:

Culinary training and food preparation
Arts and crafts
Embroidery and fashion design
Sewing
Computer literacy
Small business development

Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #5: Gender Equality

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful and sustainable world. Nearly 60% of women work in the informal economy, which puts them at greater risk of falling into poverty. Education and long-term employment opportunities are key to combating this.

Why do Women’s Empowerment volunteering in Egypt with IVHQ?

When you volunteer with women in Egypt you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

Improving quality of life for disadvantaged women and girls
Helping students develop life skills in a safe place
Practicing your Arabic
Developing your communication skills
Gaining teaching experience
Immersing yourself in Egyptian culture
Exploring Cairo and Egypt

Volunteer requirements

Volunteers must be 18 years or older to participate in this program. If you are under 18, IVHQ offers alternative volunteer opportunities for teens. Visit our <a href=https://www.volunteerhq.org/high-school-volunteer-abroad/>High School Volunteer Abroad</a> to explore these options.

This project is available for female volunteers only.

All volunteers must supply the local team with a CV after registration.

While it is not a requirement of the program, we do suggest volunteers become familiar with some basic Arabic phrases to aid in their placement experience.

Are you eligible to volunteer?

Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.

Not sure which program to join?

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Who is going?

Group video calls

Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.

Egypt photo gallery

A group of women in colorful hijabs gather outdoors for a community session, seated under trees in a shaded courtyard.

Outdoor Peer Learning Circle Under Trees

A young woman sketches cartoon faces during a creative class session, concentrating intently on her pencil work at a wooden table.

Focused Drawing & Creative Literacy

Several women browse through donated clothes in a well-lit room with colorful garments hung and folded for distribution.

Clothing Donation and Resource Room

A group of smiling young adults pose together indoors, representing a diverse and empowered team participating in the women’s empowerment initiative.

Team Building Among Young Female Leaders

A group of women attend a computer-based workshop in a digital media lab, learning video editing and content creation.

Digital Literacy and Video Editing Class

A young woman in a red sweatshirt practices threading and stitching fabric during a hands-on sewing session at the women’s empowerment center.

Sewing Skills Development Workshop

A woman in a mustard headscarf carefully cuts a large stencil design on the floor, surrounded by art supplies and spray paint.

Creative Arts & Expression Through Stenciling

A female instructor engages with participants in a skills-based workshop focused on economic self-reliance, with visual materials and whiteboards in the background.

Technical Instruction in Business Training Session

A group of women sit in a purple classroom while an instructor writes on a flip chart, facilitating a workshop in a supportive learning environment.

Classroom-Based Women’s Education Workshop

Academic course credit

Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!

Learn about course credit

Location

A guide leads three tourists on camels across the desert sands in front of the ancient pyramids of Giza in Egypt under a partly cloudy sky.

Location

Cairo, Egypt’s historic capital, boasts the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Egyptian Museum, offering a captivating mix of ancient wonders and modern life. Beyond typical tourist experiences, its lively streets, traditional markets, and the Nile River provide an immersive cultural experience.

Despite Egypt’s rich heritage and growing economy in some areas, many communities still struggle with limited access to education, healthcare, and animal welfare. Volunteers are crucial in supporting local efforts to improve living standards and provide essential aid. Located in and around Cairo, volunteer opportunities allow participants to make a real difference while experiencing the city’s vibrant culture.

Arrival and orientation

All Egypt volunteer projects start on the first and third Saturday of each month. Participants must arrive in Cairo the Friday before their selected start date.

After registering, book flights to Cairo International Airport (CAI). Airport pickup is included in the program fee. Upon arrival, a driver will meet you and transport you to the volunteer accommodation, approximately 45 minutes away (depending on traffic). This accommodation, covered by the program fee, includes the night before the mandatory full-day orientation on Saturday.

If you are already in Egypt, pickup from a central Cairo meeting point can be arranged for the Friday before your program begins.

The Saturday orientation, led by the local team in Cairo, covers essential information for your volunteer experience: an introduction to Cairo, local customs, rules, expectations, safety guidelines, travel opportunities within Egypt, and an overview of your specific project and placement. This session also provides an opportunity to connect with fellow volunteers.

Volunteer schedule example

First Day

On the first day of the volunteering placement, you will be escorted to the project by our local staff and introduced to the staff at the placement you will be working with.

Weekdays

You can expect to work a minimum of 3 hours, Sunday through Thursday. A typical day would be as follows:

8:00 AM	Breakfast at the volunteer apartment.
9:00 AM	Volunteers travel to placement to join local placement staff and begin work on your project.
12:00 - 2:30 PM	Lunch is served at the volunteer apartment.
7:30 - 9:00 PM	Dinner at the volunteer apartment. After dinner you will have the remainder of the evening free to relax and use as you wish.

Please note that the schedule may occasionally change due to weather, public or school holidays, or other unforeseen events that could affect your placement. We recommend checking in advance whether your intended travel dates coincide with any public or school holidays.

Weekends

In Egypt, the work week runs from Sunday to Thursday, with Friday and Saturday considered the weekend. During the weekends, volunteers have spare time to relax or explore other parts of Cairo and Egypt. Cairo is home to some of Egypt’s most iconic landmarks, including the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Nile River.

Beyond Cairo, Egypt is home to a wealth of incredible attractions further afield, including Luxor & The Valley of the Kings, Aswan & Abu Simbel, The White Desert, Alexandria, Siwa Oasis, The Red Sea Riviera, Mount Sinai & St. Catherine’s Monastery.

Beyond Cairo’s famous attractions, Egypt offers a wealth of history, adventure, and natural beauty. To make the most of your trip, consider planning and pre-booking excursions to these sites through IVHQ. Contact us or your IVHQ Program Manager for more information and to secure your bookings for these unique Egyptian experiences.

Accommodation and WiFi

You’ll stay in an apartment with a local host in a tourist friendly neighbourhood. You can expect plenty of people about at night, as the city of Cairo never sleeps.

Depending on volunteer numbers at the time, rooms may be shared with up to three other volunteers of the same gender. Western-style bathrooms are shared between each apartment and bedding is provided for your convenience. You will also have access to the kitchen facilities should you need them. Wi-Fi is available in each apartment and living spaces for relaxing after your volunteer placement.

Meals

Volunteers enjoy three meals a day on Sunday through Thursday at their accommodation. Breakfast is usually either continental or a light Egyptian-style spread, while dinner features lighter mixed platters such as falafel, dips, beans, bread, eggs, and fresh produce. Lunch is the main meal of the day, offering a hearty selection of meats, breads, rice dishes, salads, and vegetables, with dinner also including a variety of these options.

On weekends (Friday and Saturday in Egypt), breakfast is provided at the hotel, however volunteers can taste the cuisine at local restaurants for lunch and dinner (not included in the program fee).

Bottled water is easily accessible in Cairo, and a suggested budget is $10 per week for two liters daily. Please inform us of any special dietary needs when applying so we can accommodate them.

IVHQ Communal area in the Hotel in Cairo, Egypt

Common area in the Hotel Accommodation

IVHQ Volunteer bedroom in the hotel in Cairo, Egypt

Volunteer bedroom in the accommodation

IVHQ dining area in the hotel in Cairo, Egypt

Dining area in the accommodation

Volunteer bedroom in the accommodation

A colorful bowl of Koshari featuring pasta, lentils, chickpeas, fried onions, and tomato sauce.

Koshari – Egypt’s National Dish

A hearty Egyptian stuffed bread dish cut into slices and served with a side of spicy pickled vegetables on a red tablecloth.

Stuffed Baladi Bread with Pickles

A plate of traditional mahshi including stuffed grape leaves, zucchini, peppers, cabbage, and eggplant, filled with seasoned rice.

Mahshi – Stuffed Vegetables Platter

Pricing

USD
- United States Dollars - $
- Australian Dollars - AU$
- Brazilian Reals - R$
- British Pound Sterling - £
- Canadian Dollars - CA$
- Chinese Yuan - CN¥
- Euros - €
- Hong Kong Dollars - HK$
- Mexican Pesos - MX$
- New Zealand Dollars - NZ$
- Singapore Dollars - SG$
- Swiss Francs - CHF
- UAE Dirhams - AED

Duration	Program Fee Due 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you. USD United States Dollars - $ Australian Dollars - AU$ Brazilian Reals - R$ British Pound Sterling - £ Canadian Dollars - CA$ Chinese Yuan - CN¥ Euros - € Hong Kong Dollars - HK$ Mexican Pesos - MX$ New Zealand Dollars - NZ$ Singapore Dollars - SG$ Swiss Francs - CHF UAE Dirhams - AED
1 week	$729 Equivalent to $104/day
2 weeks	$1,019 Equivalent to $73/day
3 weeks	$1,309 Equivalent to $62/day
4 weeks	$1,599 Equivalent to $57/day
5 weeks	$1,889 Equivalent to $54/day
6 weeks	$2,179 Equivalent to $52/day
8 weeks	$2,759 Equivalent to $49/day
10 weeks	$3,339 Equivalent to $48/day
12 weeks	$3,919 Equivalent to $47/day

All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$329 (approximately $329) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.

Weekday (Sunday to Thursday) meals and basic meals supplies on weekends
Airport pick-up
Accommodation
24/7 in-country emergency support
In-country program orientation
Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
Comprehensive in-country day to day support and guidance
Certificate of International Volunteer Service

Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.

Flights
Visa (if required), travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check.
Personal spending money for snacks, laundry, public transportation, drinks and leisure activities during your free time.

Popular tours & experiences in Egypt

Take your volunteer experience to the next level with these popular tours and experiences. Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Egypt program.

Airport Drop-off

Enjoy a stress free ride from Cairo back to the airport arranged by our local team.

$35

View all tours & experiences

Affordable Arabic language lessons

10, 20, 30 and 40 hour packages available

How to book IVHQ’s language lessons: Once you’ve paid your registration fee, you will be able to select language lessons via your MyIVHQ profile.

Check what's required to visit Egypt

Entry requirements can change at any time, so it's important you monitor this right up until you depart for your trip.

Safety and support

A smiling volunteer traveller wearing a traditional Andean poncho stands in front of the breathtaking Rainbow Mountain in Peru. The landscape features vibrant red, yellow, and green hues across the mountains, with a small lake visible in the background.

Safety and support

IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.

All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.

Learn more about IVHQ's safety

Essential country information

Capital	Cairo
Population	10.2 million
Languages	Egyptian Arabic
Currency	Egyptian pound (EGP)
Time zone	GMT+3

Weather and climate: Egypt has an arid, desert climate and the weather in Cairo is always warm, or hot, and the nights cool as it has a subtropical-desert climate with hot summers and mild winters. Summer temperatures can reach the high 30s Celsius (86-95°F), especially in July and August, while winter temperatures average around 18°C (64°F). The city experiences occasional dust storms in March and April.

What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience

Pamela Dietrich

A global perspective, lifelong memories, and the realization that I am capable of making a difference in a completely different part of the world. It was more than a volunteer placement; it was a total immersion into a vibrant, beautiful culture.

Go in with an open heart. The program is well-supported, and the impact you have on these children is tangible. Don’t let the 'unknown' hold you back. The moments where you feel slightly out of your comfort zone are exactly where the most growth happens. You aren't just teaching English; you’re building bridges between cultures, and the warmth you receive from the Egyptian community is worth every bit of initial hesitation.

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