Egypt, from debt to prison: Women in financial difficulty face double penalty


Issued on: 09/01/2026 -
12:57 min

Egypt is one of the last countries in the world to impose prison sentences for debt. The main victims are "Gharimat": women in financial difficulty who have been forced into debt. Faced with the exploitation of these women – who are often widowed or single mothers – by unscrupulous creditors, associations are trying to help them achieve financial independence.

Debtors' prison, a punishment abolished in most countries in the 19th century, still exists in Egypt. According to the latest state census from 2021, Egyptian prisons were holding nearly 30,000 "Gharimat", women jailed for debt. NGOs say the real number is far higher.

Most "Gharimat" share the same profile. Widowed or divorced, they are solely responsible for their households, a situation faced by nearly a quarter of mothers in Egypt.

To marry off their daughters or pay for medical or school fees, many have no choice but to borrow money. Lenders then exploit their vulnerability, forcing them to sign blank cheques and threatening them with prison if they cannot repay, sometimes for debts as small as €50.

To counter this, several associations help women avoid falling into the debt trap by teaching them a profession or running workshops warning them against blank cheques. In the Delta, former prisoner Nermine al‑Bohteity has spent 15 years defending women's financial autonomy – a rare symbol in Egypt of courage and defiance against social norms.

BY: Mathilde DELVIGNE