Helping Women in Egypt Acheive Economic Independence

Since 2011, YKK Egypt S.A.E has supported Volunteers from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) by providing zippers free of charge in southern Egypt to assist them in achieving economic independence. Women living in the Nubia region, where the main industry is tourism, have received support from the government and from overseas, to produce hand-made tote-bags and pouches using materials procured locally, selling them to tourists as souvenirs. However, locally-procured zippers are fragile, and consequently the goods were not popular with Westerners, who are their main customers. YKK Egypt S.A.E investigated the needs of target customers and now supplies the women with suitable zippers, the quality of the handcrafted goods made by the women has improved dramatically and tourists now prize the products.