News

The 9th UfM Women Business Forum brought together over 60 participants from financial institutions, business support organisations, and the entrepreneurial sector to explore ways to accelerate investment in women-led businesses across the MENA region. The UfM launched a regional network of women’s business associations to scale up access to finance. This new platform aims to connect national efforts and improve women entrepreneurs’ access to finance and markets across the Mediterranean. Ten women entrepreneurs from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia, and Morocco were finalists at the 2025 InspireHer Awards, with four category winners recognised for their innovation and impact. Despite a… read more

 26 June 2025, Brussels — The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) successfully concluded the 2nd Mediterranean Green Week (24–26 June 2025, Brussels), where policymakers, experts, youth leaders, and stakeholders from across the Euro-Mediterranean region gathered to reaffirm their commitment to a just and inclusive green transition. Key highlights included the announcement of the first-ever UfM Energy & Climate Action Youth Delegates, empowering young leaders to help shape climate and energy policy, drive innovation, and co-create solutions for a just energy transition. High-level sessions and working groups covered critical topics such as clean energy transition, regional energy security, climate adaptation and… read more

26 June 2025, Barcelona – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and AllWomen have launched a new regional community to empower women researchers to take the lead in shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Mediterranean. The initiative is supported with funding from GIZ, the German development agency, in the framework of its partnership with the UfM. Unveiled this week, the community focuses on equipping women working in AI and data science with the skills, confidence, and networks to influence public policy and ensure that technological innovation serves inclusive, sustainable development across the region. Through hands-on training, mentorship,… read more

10 to 12 June 2025, Zaragoza – Women play a fundamental role in Mediterranean agro-food systems, being actively involved in agriculture, fisheries, and rural development, and generating essential economic activity in many areas of the region. Even though significant progress has been made in the last decade, there is still much work to be done to empower women and strengthen their engagement in these sectors. The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies in Spain (CIHEAM Zaragoza) and Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), with the collaboration of CIHEAM General Secretariat and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), are organising the… read more

7 April 2025. The Women in AI Awards is an initiative aimed at celebrating and empowering women-led AI projects. Organized by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in partnership with allWomen and supported by the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ), the awards seek to elevate the visibility and impact of women innovators shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI). By recognizing groundbreaking projects that tackle pressing challenges and drive innovation, the initiative contributes to a more inclusive and diverse AI ecosystem—one where ideas thrive, collaboration strengthens, and opportunities multiply. Despite the growing contributions of women in AI, they… read more

12 March 2025, Tirana – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF), co-leaders of the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue , joined the Municipality of Tirana to celebrate the official Opening Ceremony of Tirana as Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2025. The Mediterranean Capitals initiative highlights the Mediterranean’s cultural richness and promotes mutual understanding through a yearlong programme of cultural and educational events. Each edition designates two cities—one from each shore of the Mediterranean—to host the initiative, with Tirana and Alexandria leading the inaugural year. The grand opening on 12 March 2025 held… read more

24 March 2025 – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in strategic partnership with the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), announces the launch of “InspireHer: Transforming Financial Access and Entrepreneurship in the MENA Region”, an initiative aimed at dismantling long-standing barriers to financial inclusion faced by women across nine countries in the MENA region, including Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. Women entrepreneurs at various stages of their journey are encouraged to apply to one of three categories. The New Venture Category is designed for early-stage entrepreneurs with innovative ideas aimed at overcoming financial barriers or… read more

March 7, 2025, Barcelona – In celebration of International Women’s Day 2025, the Union for the Mediterranean hosted a webinar exploring the nexus between gender, climate change, and security, which gathered 230 registered participants. The recording of the session is now available for viewing and can be accessed by following this link. The event brought together experts, practitioners, and activists to shed light on the interconnections between these issues, particularly in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The webinar also marked the official launch of the second UfM-IEMed MedWE Policy Paper: “Climate Crisis and Gender Equality in the Euro-Mediterranean Region – Emerging Security… read more

The region is a climate change hotspot, the effects of which disproportionally impact women. Watch the UfM’s International Women’s Day webinar on gender, climate change and security, which explored how to capitalise on women’s potential to counter climate change and address its implications for peace and safety.  Later this year the UfM will present the 2nd Progress Report on Gender Equality in the Euro-Mediterranean Region. With figures from the first-ever Intergovernmental Gender Monitoring Mechanism, it will provide policymakers with data-informed recommendations to close the gender gap in the region. 8 March 2025, Barcelona. As another International Women’s Day is marked, it… read more

11 February 2025, online – On the occasion of the 10th International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) organized a webinar to highlight achievements, challenges, and opportunities for women in STEM across the Mediterranean region. The event brought together policymakers, researchers, and young professionals to discuss strategies for enhancing gender equality in scientific fields. In his opening remarks, the Deputy Secretary General for Higher Education and Research, Joan Borrell, emphasized that science and technology play a crucial role in addressing global challenges, from climate change to food security, and that these challenges can… read more