The Embassy of Sweden in Cairo has partnered with Entreprenelle to celebrate the International Day of Women Entrepreneurship at the Swedish Ambassador's residence, which was attended by Representatives of the ministry of Planning, Ministry of Social Solidarity, Ministry of youth and sports and the National Council of Women in addition to some of Egypt's top female entrepreneurs. The reception began with opening speeches from the Swedish Ambassador, Håkan Emsgård and Rania Ayman, founder of Enterprenelle. The reception focused on the participation of women in Egypt's entrepreneurial scene. "Gender Equality is a priority for the Swedish government. In 2019, 33% of new companies in Sweden were started by a woman and we continue to see an increase each year. I'm happy to see that gender equality is also a priority for the Egyptian government, as around 30% of new companies are led by women. However, the issues often occur when it's time to take the next step, such as finding investors and financing. It needs to become easier for women to take that next step and grow their business through financing and networks where support can be found," said the Swedish Ambassador. He added: "We have a good base to stand on in order to do better. By creating an ecosystem for women to take part in and benefitting from, we add an important building block for the future. And by making full use, 100% of 100 million people, the full potential of Egypt will be realized." Last week, the Embassy of Sweden in Cairo celebrated the graduation of 55 Egyptian women from the Corporate Directors Certification Program (CDCP), which facilitated for many of them to join the board of directors in the private sector in Egypt. Sweden is very proud to be supporting this program and these Women through the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
