According to ECRC, corporate social responsibility in Egypt is defined as the adoption of sustainable business models and practices that have positive impacts on the society. The private sector in Egypt is responsible for creating about 70% of all employment in the country. However, there is room for the private sector to improve its social offerings to the society in general through corporate social responsibility. The Egyptian corporate responsibility center (ECRC) was established in the year 2004 as a joint project between the United Nations development program and the Egyptian government (Grayson and Jane, 71). The main aim of the ECRC is to ensure that both private and public companies align their social responsibility programs for the greatest benefits to the Egyptian citizens. It is important to note that in Egypt private organizations and NGOs mainly conduct CSR activities.
It is the responsibility of the Egyptian government to provide basic services to the population. The country aimed to meet the millennium development goals by the year 2015. It was clear right from the beginning that government and civil organizations would not be able to meet these goals on their own. The private sector would have to play an important role in ensuring that these goals were met. In addition to providing employment to about 70% of the population, the private sector would also have to shoulder some projects in improving the lives of the population. The establishment of the ECRC was mainly to formalize the CSR environment in the country (Grayson and Jane, 71).
The mandate of the ECRC was to fill gaps in the private sector CSR knowledge, encourage sustainable business practices, act as a platform through which the private sector would engage with the public sector, and contribute towards knowledge of the CSR environment in the country (ECRC, 2014). The ECRC is also responsible for identifying various CSR frameworks for different sectors. It is then able to compare these local frameworks with best practices globally to ensure maximum benefit to the population. Through the ECRC, the public sector can engage with the public sector to identify gaps in services to society, which can be filled by the private sector CSR programs ECRC (ECRC, 2014).
There are a number of projects that the ECRC has been involved in. in order for a country to be successful, it must be able to tap effectively into the entire population. In Egypt, the female population makes up roughly 50% of the total population. However, there is gender imbalance when it comes to representation of women, especially in the very senior posts where women make up less than 7% of board memberships in organizations. The ECRC has started a program to encourage gender balance with the hope that the benefits would trickle down to the society (ECRC, 2014). The ECRC is also responsible for bringing in the Arab African International Bank into a project dubbed financial inclusion for the poor. This project is aimed at allowing poorer members of society to access finance, particularly women who have traditionally found it difficult to access finance because of cultural influences and traditions. This is an example of a CSR program whose outcome will directly benefit the target population.
Numerous private companies engaged in CSR programs in the country that have been very successful. These organizations mainly adopt initiatives that aim towards improving the lives of Egyptian citizens as well as improving major sectors such as water, health, and road safety. Etisalat is a major telecommunications company with operations in the wider Arab region. Its services provide telecommunications for the people it serves but its corporate social responsibility program is responsible for creating a healthy and safe environment for the people it serves. These programs also create new learning and income generating opportunities for the community. The Etisalat “water is the origin of life” project is an example of the corporate social responsibility programs by the company (UNICEF, 2012). In the course of the program, Etisalat has partnered with the Egyptian government and other non-governmental organizations such as Care to solve Egypt’s water problems. The program achieves this through three important aspects of the program. The first is to provide clean, piped water to homes, medical centers, and schools. The second is to invest in water purification in order to improve access to clean and safe water for communities. Third is to provide water to farmers for irrigation purposes. As a result over half a million individuals have benefited from the program since its inception (Etisalat, 2014).
Vodafone Egypt is another telecommunications company that has a diverse portfolio of CSR programs. Among the most successful was the road safety campaign that was conducted in order to raise awareness on safe driving practices. Egypt has a very high rate of road traffic accidents (Vodafone Egypt, 2015). The company was able to recognize that use of mobile phones while driving was a major contributor to this high accident rate. The program was launched to sensitize drivers on the dangers of using mobile phones while driving among other causes such as speeding. This highly effective campaign helped in improving road safety and awareness among the Egyptian population. Booklets and flyers were distributed and the campaign was very successful in sensitizing drivers on road safety (Vodafone Egypt, 2015). The company has also been involved in a number of health related programs. Among these are the heart to heart medical caravan for children, medical caravan for blindness prevention and blood donation campaigns. The company identifies problems in societies and engages in initiatives to raise awareness and create an environment where the problems can be solved.
The Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) is also a major player in the CSR environment in Egypt. The ADIB CSR comes from the belief that success in banking goes hand in hand with community development. If the community is not successful, then the bank will not be able to do business with the community. Among the major programs the company has undertaken is to promote health. The company was able to supply the ICU of the Zaqaziq University hospital with cardiovascular equipment. The hospital deals with over 18000 patients monthly and increasing its capacity is beneficial to the population (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2016). The company has also undertaken in education programs. Education is seen as the best weapon to fight poverty. As a result, the company has collaborated with the Alexandria school of law to sponsor bright but underprivileged students. This removes the financial obstacle of these students towards starting a career (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, 2016). This has been effective since it helps provide children from needy background with an equal opportunity aimed towards career development.
Although some of the CSR initiatives in the country are concerned with the influence and traditions, majority are concerned with the level of economic development. This is because the government is not able to provide basic services to every citizen and the private entities step in to address this shortfall. Although these initiatives are acceptable in Egypt, they would not be acceptable in the developed world where the governments are expected to provide essential services to all citizens without exception. In the future, majority of the CSR programs in the country will continue to be influenced by the economic status of the people. Because many people are poor and the government is unable to deliver essential services to everyone, the private sector CSR program will continue to play an important role in the country.
Works Cited
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Corporate Social Responsibility. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. <http://www.adib.eg/csr>
Grayson, David, and Jane Nelson. Corporate Responsibility Coalitions: The Past, Present, and Future of Alliances for Sustainable Capitalism. Stanford, California : Stanford Business Books, 2013. Print.
UNICEF. Etisalat Egypt and UNICEF sign an agreement to provide safe water connection to 1000 households in Qena Governorate as a first phase. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. http://www.unicef.org/egypt/media_7155.html
ECRC. ECRC: About us. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. <http://www.ecrc.org.eg/WhoWeAre.aspx>.
ECRC. Women on boards program. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. <http://www.ecrc.org.eg/backend/uploads/conferences/materials/WoB%20Program-%20Flyer.pdf>
Vodafone Egypt. Safe Driving Campaign. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. http://www.vodafone.com.eg/vodafoneportalWeb/en/P19004164251359627430262
Etisalat. Annual Report 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2016. http://o2network.net/clients/etisalat/annualreport2014/mreview_07.html
