Egypt CSI Report: Executive Summary. Downloadable in pdf [154KB]
Egypt CSI Report: Full Report. Downloadable in pdf [810KB].
Project Evaluation for Egypt: Executive Summary. Downloadable in pdf [43KB].

An Overview of Civil Society in Egypt: Civil Society Index Report for the Arab Republic of Egypt

Over the course of 2004 and 2005, the CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI) project, implemented by the Center for Development Services, collected information and input from a broad range of civil society representatives, citizens, experts and researchers on the state of civil society in Egypt. The study helped bring to light the gaps in our knowledge of CSOs and on areas in need of particular exploration.

Many assumptions that have been taken for granted as fact need further empirical probing. For instance, it has been taken for granted that CSOs’ play an instrumental role in poverty alleviation in Egypt; however, the extent to which this applies to a highly heterogeneous sector needs further research, as well as the extent to which poverty reduction efforts are actually fruitful and effective in bringing about long term change.

The study highlighted the relative strengths of civil society in Egypt, which lie in the heterogeneity of the types of organizations that exist, their size and scope of membership. It also revealed its weaknesses, which partly stem from an inhibiting environment, but also from CSOs’ narrow definition of their raison d’etre, their scope of work and their focus on one role (i.e. provision of services) at the expense of possible other roles (i.e. state and corporate watchdog, rights advocate and facilitator of people’s empowerment).