Egypt's family planning policies tested by COVID-19
Egypt has struggled to lower divorce rates and to convince people to have no more than two kids, but the pandemic may challenge these polices, as more couples stay home during lockdown.
To feed his wife and three daughters, Mahmoud Imam worked two jobs in Cairo — as an office assistant in the morning and a waiter in the afternoon. Now, as the Egyptian government enforces measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Imam is being forced to stay home.
For Imam, 35, this may be the opportunity to realize his dream of having a son.
“I used to spend over 12 hours at work, now I spend 24 hours at home. I suddenly found that I have three young naughty girls,” Imam told Al-Monitor.
“Children are a blessing," he said, "and I never had the opportunity to spend time with them. Now, my old dream of having a baby boy has come back.”
