To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Agricultural Bank of Egypt (ABE) launched an awareness campaign under the slogan "Because You Matter to Us" during October in partnership with the Baheya Foundation, as part of the bank's commitment to its social role and to empowering Egyptian women and strengthening their role as a cornerstone of the family and society.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the disease and encourage women to look after their health and recognize the importance of early detection and regular check-ups. It also seeks to embed a culture of volunteering and community engagement and strengthen the role of banks in supporting health and humanitarian causes.

The campaign is part of ABE's social responsibility program and its contribution to the Central Bank of Egypt's "Sehetak Amana" (Your Health Is a Trust) initiative, which the CBE launched to strengthen the banking sector's social role in supporting national healthcare initiatives, in line with the state's Sustainable Development Vision 2030.

During the campaign, the bank combined a symbolic message of solidarity with breast cancer fighters, spreading health knowledge among the bank's female employees, and active support for the Baheya Foundation's efforts to provide integrated medical care to women fighting the disease.

The bank opened the campaign by lighting its headquarters in Dokki pink, a visual message of solidarity symbolizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month and expressing the bank's support for every woman going through treatment. The gesture also highlighted the importance of raising awareness of the disease and encouraging women to take care of their health, supporting efforts to fight the disease and standing by women on their journey to recovery.

The bank also organized a health awareness session for its female employees in cooperation with the Baheya Foundation, as part of its efforts to promote health awareness in the workplace, support staff health and raise awareness of the importance of early breast cancer detection, supporting efforts to protect women's health and improve the chances of detecting the disease in its early stages.

The session included specialist medical guidance on breast cancer and awareness of the importance of a monthly self-examination, and gave participants the opportunity to ask questions and obtain information and guidance to help them take positive steps to protect their health.

The bank concluded its "Because You Matter to Us" campaign with a visit to the Baheya Hospital in Sheikh Zayed, attended by a number of the bank's female employees who volunteer in its community initiatives, along with the bank's Corporate Communications Group team, led by Group Head Mira Youssef. The visit included an introductory tour of the Baheya Hospital to learn about the medical services the foundation provides, as well as an awareness session for the bank's female employees on the importance of early detection. The bank's employees also joined a celebration with Baheya's fighters, in recognition of their strength and resilience in the face of the disease.

The visit is part of the long-standing cooperation between ABE and the Baheya Foundation, and reflects the bank's commitment to embedding a culture of volunteering and encouraging its employees to take an active part in impactful community initiatives.

Commenting on the campaign, Mira Youssef, Head of the Corporate Communications Group at the Agricultural Bank of Egypt, said the "Because You Matter to Us" campaign reflects the bank's belief that caring for women's health goes beyond seasonal awareness to become an ongoing social commitment aimed at embedding a culture of prevention and early detection and providing moral and humanitarian support to every woman facing the disease.

She added: "We chose the slogan 'Because You Matter to Us' because it carries a sincere message to every woman: your health deserves attention. We want to encourage every woman to make her health a priority, to protect her life and her family's future."

She explained that the campaign is not limited to spreading awareness information but seeks to turn these messages into tangible practices, by raising awareness among the bank's female employees, expressing solidarity with breast cancer fighters and encouraging staff to volunteer and help support patients. She noted that the cooperation with the Baheya Foundation embodies the importance of combining the efforts of banks and civil society organizations to achieve real humanitarian impact, in line with the Central Bank of Egypt's directives to channel the banking sector's contributions toward development priorities and healthcare for women.

The move builds on ABE's ongoing healthcare efforts, which included launching the "Sehetak Testahel" (Your Health Deserves It) initiative last July to provide free medical services to employees. In doing so, the bank is establishing an integrated system that combines workplace awareness with active field engagement in support of humanitarian causes.

She concluded by stressing that the Agricultural Bank of Egypt will continue to support initiatives that improve quality of life and support community causes, in keeping with its development role and responsibility toward citizens. "Our message through 'Because You Matter to Us' is that every step toward awareness can make a difference, every sincere contribution can give hope, and standing by women on their journey with the disease is a responsibility we all share, because women's health is not just an individual matter but a cornerstone of the health of the family and of society as a whole," she said.