Egypt's female 'prisoners of poverty' struggle with stigma

A woman carries her son, as others make leather bags, during training provided by the Children of Female Prisoners' Association, as they struggle to rebuild their lives under difficult economic conditions, in Cairo, Egypt March 4, 2023. REUTERS/Hanaa Habib

Egyptian women facing jail for falling into debt face social stigma, and if they have been freed from prison struggle to rebuild their lives, NGO workers say, despite support from civil society groups and some state help in securing early releases.

The issue has gained attention recently because of a move by President Abdal Fattah al-Sisi in March to grant pardons to male and female debtors, after which the Interior Ministry said 85 prisoners had been freed.