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Under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, the Faculty of Law, in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, organized a national workshop entitled "Legal Clinics in Combating Cyber Violence Against Women and Girls" on November 7–8, 2026. The workshop brought together deans, faculty members, teaching assistants, and students from the Faculties of Law at Ain Shams, Minia, Beni Suef, Al-Azhar (Women's Branch), and Fayoum Universities.

The workshop opened with a speech by Prof. Yassin El-Shazly, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Ain Shams University, who welcomed the attendees and emphasized the importance of cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the role of legal clinics in bridging the gap between theoretical studies and practical application while developing students' skills.

Prof. Mohamed El-Shafei, Vice Dean of the Faculty for Education and Student Affairs, also emphasized the importance of legal clinics in enhancing the educational process, promoting legal awareness, and strengthening students' sense of social responsibility.

The opening session featured a speech by Prof. Adel Abu Hashima, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Beni Suef University, highlighting the importance of exchanging expertise and fostering inter-university cooperation to develop legal clinics. This was followed by a speech by Prof. Hassan Abu El-Hamad, Director of the Legal Clinic at the Faculty of Law, Fayoum University, delivered on behalf of the Faculty's Dean, in which he stressed the importance of participation and sharing experiences among legal clinics at Egyptian universities.

For his part, Judge Ehab El-Menbawy, Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention Expert at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, addressed the importance of raising awareness of the risks of cyber violence against women and girls, praising cooperation with legal clinics in this field. He also reviewed the major challenges posed by these crimes and Egypt's legislative efforts, particularly the Anti-Cybercrime Law No. 175 of 2018 and the Personal Data Protection Law No. 151 of 2020, alongside the UNODC's role in supporting international cooperation, knowledge exchange, and capacity building.

Over the two days, the workshop featured several specialized sessions and lectures covering a wide range of topics. These began with presentations by representatives of the participating universities on their experiences in establishing and managing legal clinics. The program also included an online lecture delivered in English by Dr. Louise Koch, entitled "Digital Violence Against Women and Girls: A Comparative Perspective from Europe and Latin America," which explored the phenomenon from a comparative perspective and reviewed international experiences in addressing it.

The program also included awareness sessions on the role of legal clinics, their functions, types, and educational objectives based on experiential learning. Discussions further addressed the requirements for establishing legal clinics, mechanisms for their management and operation, the importance of selecting and training students, and the development of partnerships necessary to ensure their sustainability and strengthen their role in community service.

As part of the workshop's legal and practical component, Counselor Mohamed Abdel Sadeq delivered a lecture entitled "The Legal Framework for Combating Digital Violence Against Women and Girls and Mechanisms for Handling Digital Evidence." The lecture examined relevant legal frameworks and approaches to addressing digital violence crimes and the associated digital evidence.

The sessions concluded with a brainstorming discussion involving representatives of the participating universities, during which several practical proposals were presented to strengthen the role of legal clinics in combating cyber violence against women and girls. The program also included a guided tour of the Zafaran Palace Museum for participating in university delegations. The workshop concluded with the distribution of certificates to participants and expressions of thanks and appreciation for their contributions.

The workshop was organized through coordination and cooperation between Ain Shams University, represented by the International Cooperation Office at the Faculty of Law, including Dr. Ahmed Fathy Khalifa, Director of the Faculty's International Cooperation Office; Dr. Basma Adel El-Senn, Deputy Director of the Office; Ms. Pakinam El-Sonbaty; Mr. Khaled El-Bahrawy; and members of the Faculty's Legal Clinic, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), represented by Counselor Ehab El-Menbawy, Ms. Safwa Hesham, and Ms. Dina Mokbel. This cooperation aimed to strengthen collaboration among Egyptian universities and enhance the role of legal clinics in raising awareness and combating cyber violence against women and girls.