Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the MENA Agro-Food Sector through Social and Technological Innovation

21–22 October 2025, Cairo, Egypt – Women across the MENA region are central to food systems as producers, processors, innovators, and knowledge holders. Yet, entrenched barriers continue to restrict their full participation in agro-food value chains. These include limited access to land and finance, poor representation in cooperatives and decision-making structures, exclusion from innovation ecosystems, and gender-blind agricultural policies.
At a time when Mediterranean countries face converging crises—from climate volatility to food insecurity and youth unemployment—women-led innovation holds the potential to transform agro-food systems and drive sustainable development.

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), with the financial support of AECID and in collaboration with CIHEAM, FAO-NENA Regional Office, and Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (EI/AUC Egypt), is organizing a two-day Stakeholder Dialogue and Training Workshop in Cairo on 21–22 October 2025. This gathering is a milestone in co-designing a Regional Agenda on Innovation for Women Entrepreneurs in Agro-Food Value Chains.

Key Objectives:

• Strengthen entrepreneurial and innovation skills tailored to women in agro-food value chains.
• Share gender-sensitive technologies and climate-smart solutions.
• Build a network of women entrepreneurs, incubators, researchers, and financial actors across the region.
• Facilitate policy dialogue to shape a Regional Innovation Agenda for women in agro-food.

Event Highlights:

• Capacity-Building Workshops (21–22 October): Training 30–40 women entrepreneurs and cooperative leaders from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia on innovation-driven approaches, business modeling, access to finance, and policy engagement.
• Stakeholder Dialogue (22 October): A half-day consultation with 60–80 key regional actors—including UN agencies, donors, financial institutions, civil society, and academia—to co-develop priorities for a Regional Innovation Agenda.
• Focus Themes: Inclusive innovation ecosystems, access to finance and infrastructure, enabling policies and institutions, and women’s leadership and collective action.
• Expected Outcomes: A draft framework for a Innovation Regional Agenda, enhanced regional collaboration, and concrete commitments to empower women entrepreneurs in agro-food systems.

This Dialogue aims to unleash women’s potential as innovators, business leaders, and investors, ensuring they are fully integrated into building resilient and sustainable food systems in the MENA region.