In Focus: Some resources like policies, schemes & grants available for women entrepreneurs in Egypt
#WomenInBusinessEgypt #EntrepreneurshipSupport #SheLeadsEgypt #WomenEmpowerment #EgyptianStartups
Egypt’s entrepreneurial landscape is evolving, and women entrepreneurs are at the forefront of this transformation. The nation known as “The Gift of the Nile” has immense untapped potential – with a population of over 114 million, nearly half of whom are women. Acknowledging this, both the Egyptian government and private sector have launched numerous initiatives to support women-led businesses, helping them overcome financial, legal & social barriers.
Empowering Women-Owned Businesses in Egypt: Key Support Networks
One of the key drivers of change is – the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, which has introduced funding for health insurance, business training, and financial programmes aimed at women entrepreneurs. Additionally, banks, investment funds & international organizations are stepping up – to provide mentorship, access to capital & trade expansion opportunities.
Despite these efforts, Egyptian women still face challenges in securing funding, balancing personal and professional responsibilities & accessing training, tailored to their business needs. With targeted resources, however, more women are now equipped to build, scale & sustain successful enterprises.
Now, let us explore the essential resources available for Egyptian women entrepreneurs, highlighting grants, mentorship programmes, networking opportunities & business accelerators that are shaping the future of female-led businesses in Egypt.
> The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)
Egypt’s efforts toward regional integration in Africa have created tremendous growth opportunities in the last decade. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), operational since 2021, established the world’s largest free-trade area, connecting 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. According to the World Bank, by 2035, AfCFTA could lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty.
The launch of AfCFTA actually signaled a new era of deeper economic integration for Africa. Yet easing trade between the continent and the Middle East requires more than treaties; reducing logistical obstacles and stimulating investments are key. Egypt’s Commercial International Bank (CIB) is advancing this mission, particularly in East Africa. In April 2020, CIB acquired 51% of Mayfair Bank Kenya, marking its first venture into sub-Saharan Africa; and the bank then acquired the remaining 49% in January 2023, solidifying its regional footprint.
https://partners.wsj.com/cib/banking-on-growth/cib-expands-into-africa-to-stimulate-trade/
> Heya Raeda
In Egypt, prominent schemes supporting women entrepreneurs include the “Heya Raeda” program by TIEC, the “SheTrades” initiative by the International Trade Centre, the EBRD’s “Women in Business” program, and the UNIDO-led “Rabeha” joint program, all of which focus on providing access to – training, mentorship, funding & market connections to empower female business owners across various sectors.
The entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt is one of the fastest in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, but an in-depth analysis reveals also that the number of female entrepreneurs is remarkably small. By taking the Egyptian female entrepreneurial ecosystem into consideration, it was pointed out that the main barriers that hinder the development of companies led by women are – the lack of knowledge and confidence together with the will to avoid the competition with men. And, it was to enhance women’s confidence and help them develop their business in Egypt, TIEC started “Heya Raeda” – a program for female entrepreneurs that also involves female coaches, female trainers, and mentors. The Heya Raeda is a nearly-stage Entrepreneurship Programme for female entrepreneurs – operating in the ICT field that produce technological products (Website, Mobile Application, Software, IOT platform, …) or that use technology to foster the selling of their products (online platform / digital marketing interface).
The programme is aimed at providing the audience with hands-on knowledge of – Business Validation, Business Modelling & Key Technology. After participating in this programme, the audience will be able to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their business and they will be made aware and encouraged to take part in other programmes – to boost female entrepreneurship.
> SheTrades
At SheTrades, the goal is – to bolster the competitiveness of women-owned MSMEs in the handicraft sector, by offering training in production, marketing, and export practices. The International Trade Centre’s flagship initiative on women and trade, SheTrades, has launched a new chapter in Egypt – to empower and boost the competitiveness of women-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the handicraft sector.
The project’s overarching objective is – women’s economic empowerment as part of the country’s inclusive and sustainable development & economic growth. And it provides women-led small businesses – with training on production, packaging, logistics, trade information, quality management & sector-specific marketing and sales.
https://www.intracen.org/es/node/8523
> EBRD Women in Business
Here the offerings are – financial support, advisory services, training & mentorship to women-led small businesses across various industries.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is boosting its support for women entrepreneurs in Egypt, with a loan of EGP 700 million (€13.2 million equivalent) to Tasaheel for Financing (Tasaheel), which is Egypt’s largest lender to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
Under the EBRD’s Women in Business programme, the loan will help increase access to finance for privately owned, women-led MSME. Along with the loan, the EBRD will provide Tasaheel with a comprehensive technical cooperation package that will help introduce new financial products, tailored to the needs of women-led MSMEs, and improve access to finance; and it will also include capacity-building activities for specialised lending and monitoring.
The EBRD’s Women in Business programme promotes the participation of women in the economy and provides – financial, advisory, training and mentoring support to women entrepreneurs. The programme, which covers most sectors and industries, focuses on women-led small businesses (with less than 250 employees and less than €50 million in annual turnover). This loan marked the EBRD’s third engagement in Egypt’s microfinance sector.
https://www.ebrd.com/news/2024/ebrd-promotes-egyptian-women-entrepreneurs.html
> Rabeha
This is a comprehensive program by UNIDO that provides training, coaching, and market access opportunities to women entrepreneurs, focusing on sectors like handicrafts and sustainability.
UN Women and UNIDO in Egypt are implementing a five-year Joint Programme (JP) entitled “Women’s Economic Empowerment for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Egypt” known as “Rabeha” – in partnership with the National Council for Women (NCW), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) with the generous support of Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The main goal of the JP is – to support the economic empowerment of more than 6,300 women through increased access to employment and/or self-employment opportunities.
To elaborate, ‘Rabeha’ is Arabic for “winner”. This is the brand name for a programme – to provide women in Egypt with the means, knowledge & confidence to realize their unique and valid work-related goals, either as entrepreneurs, early-stage businesswomen or as paid employees.
The Rabeha programme, run jointly by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and UN Women – aims to significantly boost women’s economic empowerment in Egypt by mid-2024. It is funded by Global Affairs Canada, and is being implemented in partnership with the National Council for Women, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency.
Policies
In Egypt, policies aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs include the 2017 Investment Law guaranteeing equal investment opportunities for both genders, regulations prohibiting gender discrimination in financial services, lifting restrictions on women working at night in certain industries & initiatives focused on providing access to finance, training, and mentorship programs specifically for female entrepreneurs through organizations like the EBRD and UN Women; all working towards promoting women’s economic empowerment in the country.
> International Labour Organization
International Labour Organization – ILO empowers Egyptian women entrepreneurs for a just transition and green economy.
Workshops are held to highlight the pivotal role of women entrepreneurs in advancing a gender-responsive green economy in Egypt, and to tackle existing challenges and delved into strategies for their empowerment. As part of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) ADWA’ project, a dynamic workshop titled “Enhancing Policies for a Just Transition with a Focus on Women’s Entrepreneurship Development” was held and it brought together nearly 50 participants from 25 entities, including government bodies, employers, workers organizations,
women entrepreneurs’ networks, academia and developmental agencies.
The hybrid workshop, was co-organized by the ILO and the Environmental Compliance
and Sustainable Development Office of the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI).
Within the framework of the “Advancing the Decent Work Agenda in North Africa”
(ADWA) project, a partnership between the ILO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) – the event aimed to discuss the crucial role women entrepreneurs play in driving a gender-responsive just transition towards a green economy in Egypt.
It also sought to validate the findings and recommendations of a rapid situational analysis report on the employment-environment-gender equality nexus.
> National Strategy for Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030 (NSEW 2030)
Egypt produced a national report about the progress in the implementation of the agreed conclusions on “women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work”. What specific actions have been taken to enact, strengthen and enforce laws and regulatory frameworks that ensure gender equality and prohibit discrimination against women in the world of work?
Egypt is committed to achieving equality between women and men – in all civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution; the state commits to taking the necessary measures to ensure appropriate representation of women in the houses of parliament, in the manner specified by law. It grants women the right to hold public posts and high management posts in the state, and to appointment in judicial bodies and entities without discrimination; the state commits to the protection of women against all forms of violence, and ensures women empowerment to reconcile the duties of a woman toward her family and her work requirements; the state ensures care and protection and care for motherhood and childhood, and for breadwinning, and elderly women, and women most in need.The national strategy for empowerment of women: In 2017, which was announced as women year by the Egyptian President, the National Strategy for Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030 (NSEW 2030) was adopted by the President of Egypt with a clear directive to the GoE to adopt all its contents and consider it as a guide and a roadmap for all the work concerning the empowerment of women, making Egypt the first country globally to launch its national women strategy 2030 in line with the SDGs.
The Strategy has a pillar for economic empowerment for women: NCW Law no.(30) organizing the institutionalizing the National Council for Women as an independent National Women Machinery (2018).
What action have been taken to increase investment and support for women entrepreneurs? The new Investment Law of 2017 was dedicated for assuring equal investment opportunities for both men and women.
In 2018/2019, implementation of more than 68,5 thousand micro projects to empower women economically, targeting rural women and mothers of school children with financial cost around 468.5 million, besides providing 41.3 thousand job opportunities through the small and micro projects for women and youth, as well as training of 18,000 women in the business and marketing field. SAP Egypt has launched a network for businesswomen.
During the covid-19 pandemic: In (22 March 2020) MoSS announced increasing the number of beneficiaries of soft loans & loans with negligible interest rates to set up micro enterprises, so that they can improve the living standard of their families; and economic opportunities to include women in need to microfinance loans In 7 April 2020 Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise Development Agency Launched exceptional loan for a limited period to help small projects survive the crisis. (Given that, the total no. of small project provided to women in 2019 was 69% while 51% of microfinance loans were granted to women).
https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-06/Egypt%20%28EN%29.pdf
> Commercial International Bank (CIB)
In line with its commitment to foster an environment in which women entrepreneurs can
thrive, CIB has launched some programmes. Women in Tech addresses the gender gap within the bank’s IT department and prepares women to work in CIB’s Security and Resilience Management and Global Transaction and Digital Banking Departments. She Is Back helps mothers transition back to work following maternity leave, while Helmek Yehemena provides training to encourage talented young females living in Upper Egypt and Delta regions to join the work force. Meanwhile, Retail Banking Gender Diversity aims to give CIB’s retail banking female employees equal opportunities while fostering a dynamic and inclusive work environment.
She’s Next
Another female-focused initiative is – the She’s Next program. This was launched in 2020 to help female-led businesses access and secure funding to run and develop their businesses. It provides female entrepreneurs unparalleled opportunities and resources through mentoring and networking with like-minded individuals. The 2023 edition involved over 4,000 female-owned SMEs from 13 industries – including fashion, technology, real estate, health care, media and logistics. The three winners from a range of sectors were chosen and each received one year of business training from the US Agency for International Development and a $10,000 grant. The programme also initiates opportunities for women to improve their skills and also network with like- minded individuals. Finalists received an intensive two-week business training provided by USAID and this training fostered valuable peer learning and expanded their network within the local female entrepreneur community.
And, CIB’s support of female-led and owned businesses doesn’t stop here. CIB offers businesswomen financial support, such as – the Women in Business Loan, providing
easy access to significant financial assistance with minimal requirements.
So, by enabling equality, CIB is helping female entrepreneurs create a brighter future.
https://partners.wsj.com/cib/banking-on-growth/encouraging-female-led-businesses-in-
egypt/
> OCO Global
OCO Global are currently working with The World Bank’s Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (WeFI) in Egypt. They will be delivering a mentoring scheme to support women-led business in the eCommerce space – enabling them to scale up, build their technical knowledge, enter new markets and export via eCommerce.
The project aims to:
· Help women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Egypt to increase their sales via eCommerce by creating learning products relating to eCommerce;
· Mentor a cohort of advisors in Egypt on this subject matter; and
· Support the advisors to deliver eCommerce mentoring to women-led SMEs in Egypt.
They focused on women-led SMEs, who want to receive mentoring and support from local and international experts to help them scale up their e-commerce sales. Their aim is to support businesses in Egypt that are women-owned, who produce goods sellable through e-commerce platforms. They are particularly interested to work with companies in the Crafts, Beauty Products, Clothing, Food Products and Electronics sectors, with between 5 and 200 employees. They are willing to consider smaller businesses, or those active in different sectors, if they demonstrate good potential for growth.
Participating businesses will receive mentoring and support sessions from trained e-commerce advisors – to cover all areas of running an e-commerce business. And the e- commerce advisors (supported by international experts) will continue to provide guidance, feedback and support to you to help you improve your skills and knowledge further.
The mentoring will cover topics such as – access to sales channels and online platforms, using online payments, cross-border fulfilment, costs & digital marketing. After the successful completion of the mentoring sessions, your team will be updated on how to use e-commerce effectively and increase your online sales.
> Catalyzing Entrepreneurship for Job Creation Project
The US$200 million “Catalyzing Entrepreneurship for Job Creation” project is aimed at – promoting entrepreneurship, combined with expanding access to finance for small and medium enterprises, which have proven to be a major source of growth and job creation. The background is that this project is designed to address – the major obstacles that young people and women face when launching new businesses.
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
