On this International Women’s Day, we would like to recognize a group of female founders who were invited to our We-Fi MENA Regional Summit in Dubai, UAE, and we had the pleasure of hearing their stories. This group of 21 incredible women were nominated by our implementing partners and their clients in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, who appreciate the challenges these women face and have witnessed their tenacity up-close.
At the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), everything we do is to help women in developing countries take control of their economic destiny through entrepreneurship. In MENA, the risks, obstacles and barriers can be daunting. Even so, there are many brave, resilient, ingenious women who rise to the challenge every day. They are scientists, innovators, manufacturers, technologists, visionaries, pragmatists and dreamers. And they had strong words of encouragement for other women in MENA who aspire to become entrepreneurs.
To learn more about the group of women entrepreneurs and the businesses they lead, please read this short booklet. These entrepreneurs were nominated and selected for their exceptional work, innovative ideas, and achievements at various stages of their businesses by We-Fi Implementing Partners: African Development Bank (AfDB), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the World Bank (WB); and ecosystem players in the MENA region (Endeavor, Flat6Labs, Ibtikar, and Souk At-Tanmeya).
These women demonstrate the best of what it means to be an entrepreneur. We are sharing their stories in hopes that they will inspire you, too.
