UfM Women Business Forum in Palermo champions inclusive investment for women-led businesses in the MENA region
- 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 growing number of women-led businesses in the MENA region, access to finance remains a critical barrier — compounded by legal, institutional, and socio-cultural obstacles. Women-led start-ups in the region receive just 1.2% of all venture capital, slightly below the global average of 2%.
17 July 2025, Palermo, Italy – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) held the 9th edition of the UfM Women Business Forum, co-organised with the Union of Arab Banks (UAB) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to promote the acceleration of investment in women-led businesses across the MENA region.
The event brought together policymakers, financial institutions, business support organisations, and entrepreneurs to explore concrete strategies to close the financing gap, with proposals involving early-stage technical assistance and investor engagement to alternative financing models beyond venture capital. Discussion panels, investor-led workshops, and interactive masterclasses provided practical insights and created direct bridges between entrepreneurs and funders. Topics included funding readiness, strategic scaling, green and digital finance, and gender-responsive ecosystem development.
Ten women entrepreneurs from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia, and Morocco were selected as finalists for the 2025 InspireHer Awards, a UfM and UAB initiative celebrating progress in financial inclusion and entrepreneurship across the MENA region. Among them, four category winners were recognised for their outstanding innovation and impact. The winners were:
- Iman Elwasifi, Muqbis, Egypt – Women Entrepreneurs Award
Muqbis is an eCommerce platform that connects local artisans—especially women—with wider markets, empowering them through digital access and economic opportunity. - Nisrine Sadik, Lumina, Morocco – New Venture Award
Lumina offers an electric, solar-powered vehicle designed to meet mobility needs in underserved areas, blending clean energy with inclusive design. - Nuhayr Zein, Leukeather, Egypt – SANAD Innovation Champion in Sustainability Award
Leukeather is a plant-based leather alternative made from dried leucaena leaves—an eco-conscious solution to traditional leather with global market potential. - Thelal Alshamaileh, Easy Robot Kit, Jordan – Established Business Award
Easy Robot Kit Academy provides hands-on STEM training for children, fostering innovation and critical thinking through affordable, self-sustaining kits.
The two-day forum also witnessed the launch of the UfM Regional Network of Women Business Associations, a new collaborative platform designed to interlink the national efforts of such groups, amplify their impact, and promote inclusive access to finance and markets for women entrepreneurs across the Mediterranean. Representatives from leading WBAs in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Egypt, and Spain shared best practices and helped shape the network’s governance and priorities.
UfM Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Stephen Borg stated:
“Women’s economic empowerment is essential to our region’s inclusive and sustainable future. This Forum is not just about dialogue—it is about action. It’s about forging meaningful partnerships, sharing practical solutions, and scaling what works. By connecting women-led businesses with financial institutions, policymakers, and support networks, we are helping to build an ecosystem where women-led businesses can truly thrive.”
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