Bassil Rahmy, CEO of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), announced that the agency has injected EGP 18bn over the past 11 years to finance women-led small and micro enterprises across all governorates, contributing to the creation of at least 1.2 million job opportunities. Rahmy emphasized the agency's strong commitment to expanding its services for women and supporting them in establishing and growing small and medium-sized enterprises. He highlighted ongoing efforts to increase women's participation across productive, commercial, and service sectors, enhance their representation in the labour market, and strengthen their leadership and professional roles. He explained that MSMEDA operates under a comprehensive strategy aligned with the directives of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who also chairs the agency's Board of Directors. This strategy aims to ensure women have full access to MSMEDA's financial and non-financial services. Rahmy added that the agency actively coordinates with national initiatives that support women, assist them in launching private businesses in diverse fields, and encourage them to pursue entrepreneurship and self-employment. Rahmy delivered his remarks during the Carerha Summit for Egyptian Women 2024, a leading regional platform for professional development and women's empowerment in Egypt and the wider Middle East and North Africa region. He noted that the summit provides an opportunity for MSMEDA to exchange ideas and experiences with partners on effective development programmes that prioritize women and foster an enabling environment conducive to starting new projects or expanding existing ones. Bassil Rahmy, CEO of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) He added that the agency is implementing an ambitious vision to empower women by supporting their adoption of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, and by encouraging them to pursue green entrepreneurship. This vision is being advanced through cooperation with relevant state ministries and major private-sector institutions. Rahmy stressed that these efforts align with the Sustainable Development Agenda and Egypt's Vision 2030. MSMEDA also gives particular attention to financing heritage, handicraft, and innovative projects, while working to promote financial inclusion and accelerate the shift toward digital and technological solutions. The agency remains committed to helping women develop and scale up their enterprises from micro to small and medium-sized levels. Rahmy underscored MSMEDA's aim to reach every Egyptian woman seeking to enter the labour market and establish a project that delivers economic, social, and environmental value. He urged women and girls across all governorates—especially entrepreneurs—to visit MSMEDA's branches nationwide and benefit from the facilities provided under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Law No. 152/2020. He encouraged them to access the agency's diverse financing products and specialised entrepreneurship training programmes. He concluded by affirming the agency's readiness to continue coordinating with partner organisations and to adopt any initiative that strengthens national efforts to achieve women's economic and social empowerment and expand their participation in development.
