Guidance
Gender-Smart Investing in MENA
An Egyptian perspective on strengthening investment strategies to empower women
- Published by
- Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund (AWEF)
This practitioner brief presents key findings of research conducted in partnership by Egyptian investment fund, Mezzan Investments, and the FCDO funded Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund (AWEF), from March to September 2021.
It aims to catalyse discussion and action across Gender-Smart Investing (GSI) practitioners, Egyptian firms and impact investors.
- It provides an overview of gender disparities and women’s economic empowerment gaps in Egypt compared to its peer economies
- It presents five gender-smart investing strategies and examples of how these have been applied by companies in Egypt
- It presents key recommendations for companies and investors seeking to adopt more ambitious approaches on Gender-Smart Investment
It makes the case for why it makes business sense to invest in women. Despite the challenges being significant, so are the socio-economic opportunities. It shows that, in Egypt, investment in women’s empowerment could lead to 3.8 million fewer people in poverty by 2030 and if female employment rates were to match male employment rates in Egypt, GDP would increase by 34 per cent.
About the Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund (AWEF)
Launched in 2015 AWEF seeks to stimulate and increase Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) through an MSD approach in Jordan and Egypt.