The Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women was the first Egyptian NGO to address the needs of Female Heads of Household (FHHs) and to identify them as a distinct target group.
At the time of ADEW’s establishment in 1985, FHHs, a segment of society that constituted 20% of the Egyptian population and over 40% of the population of squatter areas, had long been radically marginalized and impoverished. That’s why, ADEW was determined to empower these marginalized FHH; economically, socially, and legally; through its comprehensive set of programs.