Algeria 
Egypt 
Israel 
Jordan 
Lebanon 
Libya 
Morocco 
Palestine * 
Syria * 
Tunisia UfM-UAB event in Cairo dismantles gender barriers in finance and networking
The Union for the Mediterranean and the Union of Arab Banks marked International Women’s Day by co-hosting Closing gender gaps in the MENA financial sector: towards women-led business development, a 2-day conference in the Egyptian capital aimed at reducing the high levels of entrepreneurial inequality between men and women. The first joint event since the signing of a cooperation agreement a month prior, the institutions worked hand in hand to bring together 100 public and private sector participants, highlighting initiatives and best practices that encourage female entrepreneurship and therefore promote more equitable regional growth.
Senior bankers, entrepreneurs, and other attendees took part in six panel discussions and roundtable talks on gender disparities in access to finance for business creation and development, the role of financial institutions and banks in promoting gender equality, the MENA female angel investment scene as well as on the role of fintech in bridging the gender gap, innovative practices to boost women’s financial inclusion, and accelerating the role of women in international trade.
The OECD’s Middle East and Africa Division took advantage of the event to present a €5m programme for the financial and digital inclusion of MENA women entrepreneurs, helping them overcome unfair lending practices, a lack of collateral, and insufficient financial knowledge. Meanwhile, the UfM, UAB and DG-NEAR announced the new Gender Lens in Fintech Award to showcase and support gender-sensitive initiatives in the fintech sector, with a first-ever ceremony set for the end of this year.
Countries covered:
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Algeria
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Egypt
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Israel
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Jordan
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Lebanon
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Libya
-
Morocco
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Palestine *
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Syria *
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Tunisia
