Egypt Bans Women from Working Abroad in Domestic and Catering Sectors, Public Opinion Divided
Egypt's Ministry of Labor announced an immediate ban on Egyptian women working abroad in all in-employer-residence jobs, including domestic service, cooking, personal nursing, and housekeeping, as well as all jobs in cafes and restaurants. The ban aims to uphold the dignity of Egyptian women abroad and ensure 'safe and decent' employment opportunities. However, the move has sparked widespread national debate, with the public questioning the ban's rationality and how to provide alternative livelihoods for low-skilled women. Despite this, some netizens support the ban, viewing it as a wise government decision to protect women's dignity.
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- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 09:46
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Egypt's Ministry of Labor announced on the 1st that, effective immediately, Egyptian women are prohibited from engaging in all in-employer-residence work abroad, including domestic service, cooking, personal nursing, and housekeeping. Additionally, they are banned from all jobs in cafes and restaurants, including bartending, catering, and counter service, as well as similar occupations in other venues (such as nightclubs).
Egyptian Labor Minister Hassan Redad stated that the purpose of the ban is to uphold the dignity of Egyptian women abroad and ensure 'safe and decent' employment opportunities for Egyptian overseas workers.
According to Egypt's 'Al Ahram' newspaper, a report from the Egyptian Manpower Brokerage Service Authority indicated that some Egyptian women were working abroad in professions prohibited by Egyptian overseas employment law. Furthermore, in 2025, several overseas recruitment agencies were found to have violated regulations by recruiting Egyptian women for 'inappropriate' work abroad.
The Ministry of Labor added that some Egyptian women, after going abroad (especially to Gulf countries), were arranged to work in conditions lacking sufficient legal protection or appropriate labor terms, raising government concerns about potential exploitation, abuse, or violations of labor contracts.
Such bans are not unprecedented. In 2006, Egyptian officials also attempted to prohibit Egyptian women from working abroad in catering services or private household domestic work.
However, since the Jasmine Revolution in 2011, the political and economic environment gradually deteriorated. Coupled with several years of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, Egypt faced severe currency depreciation and inflation. This made it difficult for Egyptian women to find suitable jobs domestically, weakening the enforcement of the ban, eventually leading to its complete失效.
After the Ministry of Labor reissued the ban, it sparked widespread national discussion. People questioned why Egyptian women should be prohibited from these overseas jobs and how to find other avenues for low-skilled Egyptian women.
'What should a woman do if she can't find another job?' one female netizen commented on Instagram about the ban, criticizing that whether anyone engages in 'catering work' should be a matter of personal freedom.
'There is no disgraceful work. Being idle is more shameful,' another woman wrote.
Middle Eastern media 'New Arab' pointed out that currently, there are about 10 to 14 million Egyptians working abroad, with 70% concentrated in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Remittances from Egyptian expatriates' overseas work income are Egypt's largest and most stable source of foreign exchange, second only to exports. The Egyptian government statistics show that in 2025, 'expatriate remittances' totaled 41.5 billion US dollars, an increase of 40.5% from the previous year. This highlights the significant contribution of Egyptian overseas labor to the Egyptian economy.
However, on the Facebook community 'Egyptian Women,' which has 1 million followers, many netizens still supported the ban, believing it to be a wise decision by the Egyptian government to uphold the dignity of Egyptian women abroad. (Editor: Wei Shu) 1150408
Egyptian Labor Minister Hassan Redad stated that the purpose of the ban is to uphold the dignity of Egyptian women abroad and ensure 'safe and decent' employment opportunities for Egyptian overseas workers.
According to Egypt's 'Al Ahram' newspaper, a report from the Egyptian Manpower Brokerage Service Authority indicated that some Egyptian women were working abroad in professions prohibited by Egyptian overseas employment law. Furthermore, in 2025, several overseas recruitment agencies were found to have violated regulations by recruiting Egyptian women for 'inappropriate' work abroad.
The Ministry of Labor added that some Egyptian women, after going abroad (especially to Gulf countries), were arranged to work in conditions lacking sufficient legal protection or appropriate labor terms, raising government concerns about potential exploitation, abuse, or violations of labor contracts.
Such bans are not unprecedented. In 2006, Egyptian officials also attempted to prohibit Egyptian women from working abroad in catering services or private household domestic work.
However, since the Jasmine Revolution in 2011, the political and economic environment gradually deteriorated. Coupled with several years of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, Egypt faced severe currency depreciation and inflation. This made it difficult for Egyptian women to find suitable jobs domestically, weakening the enforcement of the ban, eventually leading to its complete失效.
After the Ministry of Labor reissued the ban, it sparked widespread national discussion. People questioned why Egyptian women should be prohibited from these overseas jobs and how to find other avenues for low-skilled Egyptian women.
'What should a woman do if she can't find another job?' one female netizen commented on Instagram about the ban, criticizing that whether anyone engages in 'catering work' should be a matter of personal freedom.
'There is no disgraceful work. Being idle is more shameful,' another woman wrote.
Middle Eastern media 'New Arab' pointed out that currently, there are about 10 to 14 million Egyptians working abroad, with 70% concentrated in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Remittances from Egyptian expatriates' overseas work income are Egypt's largest and most stable source of foreign exchange, second only to exports. The Egyptian government statistics show that in 2025, 'expatriate remittances' totaled 41.5 billion US dollars, an increase of 40.5% from the previous year. This highlights the significant contribution of Egyptian overseas labor to the Egyptian economy.
However, on the Facebook community 'Egyptian Women,' which has 1 million followers, many netizens still supported the ban, believing it to be a wise decision by the Egyptian government to uphold the dignity of Egyptian women abroad. (Editor: Wei Shu) 1150408
FAQ
Why did Egypt's Ministry of Labor ban women from working abroad in domestic and catering sectors?
The ban aims to uphold the dignity of Egyptian women abroad and ensure 'safe and decent' employment opportunities for Egyptian overseas workers.
What was the public reaction in Egypt to this ban?
The ban sparked widespread national discussion, with people questioning why Egyptian women should be prohibited from these overseas jobs and how to find other avenues for low-skilled Egyptian women.