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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

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Timothy Thomas

Timothy Thomas is a Senior Research Fellow in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit. His research focuses on the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity. Tim’s work involves developing innovative methods for simulated climate futures and model coordination between climate, crop, water, energy, and economics.

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Development Strategies and Governance

Nada Shokry

Research Associate

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Bio

Nada is a Research Associate. Before Joining IFPRI, she worked as an Economist at Towson University’s Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI) in Maryland, USA. She has also worked as a Consultant for both IFPRI and the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES) as well as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Economics Department at the American University in Cairo and at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST) Business Department in Alexandria. She holds both her MA and BA degrees in Economics from the American University in Cairo (AUC) and has completed a graduate certificate program in healthcare data analytics from University of Connecticut in the USA. Her research interests are Applied Development Economics, Public Policy, Macroeconomics, Health Economics and International Economics.

Development Strategies and Governance

Publications

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Brief

Gendered work norms in Egypt: Evidence on preferences and social perceptions

2025Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma
Details

Gendered work norms in Egypt: Evidence on preferences and social perceptions

We examine the nature and scope of gendered work norms in Egypt using new experimental evidence from a household survey. Societal norms around work, care responsibilities and the types of jobs women and men can hold can have a profound effect on gender differences in employment, earnings and life satisfaction. Indeed, while lack of childcare and secure transportation remain widely cited constraints to women’s employment in low-income settings, descriptive and experimental evidence also suggest that deeply rooted social norms about gender roles play a prominent role in driving the persistence of such barriers and in how households evaluate women’s work. Norms emphasizing men as primary breadwinners and women as primary caregivers shape both economic decisions and perceptions of behavior in ways that may limit women’s labor force participation even when opportunities exist. We implement three survey-based experiments among economically disadvantaged households to elucidate these norms and measure their salience. A wage‐comparison choice experiment shows that households strongly prefer that men—not women—take on additional paid work, even when this preference entails substantial forgone income for the household. When offered identical wages for equal hours of work, only 12.4 percent of respondents select the wife to take it as a first part-time job versus the husband taking it as a second part-time job. Even when her wage is double that of her husband, a clear majority still prefer that the husband works instead. These results indicate a large implicit cost that households place on women working outside the household. Two randomized vignette experiments further demonstrate that identical actions are interpreted differently depending on whether they are performed by men or women. Men who take on a second job to support their financially struggling household are widely viewed as more competent and more moral, whereas perceptions of women making the same choice are far more divided. Perceptions of workplace effort are broadly similar across genders, with small differences appearing only in perceptions of morality. Together, these findings emphasize the strength of gendered work norms in Egypt and reveal nuance in how they shape behavior. The findings also underscore the relevance of gender norms for designing programs affecting household work decisions and testing new approaches to promote women’s economic inclusion.

Year published

2025

Authors

Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Shokry, Nada; Yassa, Basma

Citation

Allen IV, James; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Kurdi, Sikandra; Shokry, Nada; and Yassa, Basma. 2025. Gendered work norms in Egypt: Evidence on preferences and social perceptions. IFPRI Project Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178587

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Middle East; Gender Norms; Women; Social Structure; Labour

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Brief

Addressing the double burden of malnutrition in Egypt: Report on a stakeholder workshop on key challenges, policy solutions, and research opportunities

2025Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; Elkaramany, Mohamed
Details

Addressing the double burden of malnutrition in Egypt: Report on a stakeholder workshop on key challenges, policy solutions, and research opportunities

Key messages Parliamentarians, researchers, and development practitioners shared perspectives on the double burden of malnutrition in Egypt in roundtable discussions. Infrastructure gaps and policy and research strategy fragmentation are highlighted as challenges to accessibility of healthy food. Aggressive ads/media environment and inefficient nutrition education programs are regarded as negatively impacting consumer behavior. Economic factors are widely identified as a major driver of malnutrition. Recommended solutions include raising nutrition literacy, transitioning from food subsidies to vouchers, improving nutrition services infrastructure, taxing unhealthy foods, and fortifying staple foods. Participants called for continued dialogue between researchers and policymakers.

Year published

2025

Authors

Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; Elkaramany, Mohamed

Citation

Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; and Elkaramany, Mohamed. 2025. Addressing the double burden of malnutrition in Egypt: Report on a stakeholder workshop on key challenges, policy solutions, and research opportunities. MENA Policy Note 27. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176182

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Malnutrition; Infrastructure; Foods; Policies; Obesity; Poverty; Wasting Disease (nutritional Disorder)

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Brief

Targeting in development projects in Egypt: Approaches, challenges, and lessons learned

2024Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; Elkaramany, Mohamed
Details

Targeting in development projects in Egypt: Approaches, challenges, and lessons learned

Effective targeting strategies are vital for almost all development programs. Universal approaches which provide aid to all individuals regardless of need are not always feasible given limited budgets and varying development priorities. Conversely, targeting directs resources to those in greatest need, ensures efficient allocation while upholding principles of social justice, equality, and the right to assistance. This policy note summarizes the outcomes of a workshop held in Cairo on October 20, 2023, which brought together researchers, development practitioners, and policymakers. The high-level dialogue was part of the “Bridging Evidence and Policy” (BEP) seminar series, a collaborative initiative by the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD). The BEP series serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaborative learning among donors, local and international implementers, and government representatives, with a focus on improving targeting in development projects. This note highlights the key discussions, offering insights into best practices and recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of program targeting.

Year published

2024

Authors

Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; Elkaramany, Mohamed

Citation

Shokry, Nada; Jovanovic, Nina; Kurdi, Sikandra; Hamdy, Adham; and Elkaramany, Mohamed. 2024. Targeting in development projects in Egypt: Approaches, challenges, and lessons learned. MENA Policy Note 26. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168420

Country/Region

Egypt

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Targeting; Development Projects

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

National Policies and Strategies

Record type

Brief

Events

Evidence for Action: Advancing Food Systems, Resilience, and Inclusive Growth in Egypt and the MENA Region
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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November 25, 2026, 9:00 – 2:00 pm

Evidence for Action: Advancing Food Systems, Resilience, and Inclusive Growth in Egypt and the MENA Region

This event is by invitation only. For questions or inquiries about attending, please contact the IFPRI Egypt office at (IFPRI-Egypt@cgiar.org). Across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), food systems and livelihoods face mounting pressures from economic uncertainty, climate change, resource constraints, and conflict. In Egypt, ongoing economic reforms, food security challenges, and efforts to […]