CEO Women Conference’s Second Edition Under Prime Minister’s Patronage

Empowering Women’s Leadership

The highly anticipated second edition of the CEO Women Conference commenced on Tuesday morning with the esteemed patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, and the valued support of the Ministry of Tourism and the National Council for Women

The conference saw the presence of prominent figures, including Soha Gendi, the Minister of State for Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs, Dr. Christina Arab, a representative of the United Nations, and Dr. Hani Mustafa, CEO of Smart Digital Green SDG

This conference convenes women executives from renowned economic enterprises, both on the local and international fronts, alongside over 200 CEOs and leaders from government and private sectors

They gathered to deliberate and present pivotal economic topics through four engaging panel sessions: Beyond Industry 4.0/5.0: Impact of AI on Society, CEO Women in Global Context: Challenges & Opportunities, Financing Sustainable Women’s Projects, and Education and CEO Excellence

Ambassador Soha Gendy, Minister of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, affirmed that Egyptian women are essential partners in sustainable development, with the Egyptian government actively working to empower them across various domains. Speaking at the “CEO Women” conference, she noted that Egyptian women have played prominent roles in Egypt’s history, symbolizing strength and leadership across diverse fields

The current political leadership places significant importance on women’s roles in society

The Minister pointed out that the Egyptian government has launched a national strategy for the empowerment of Egyptian women, encompassing four main pillars: political empowerment and the reinforcement of women’s leadership roles, economic empowerment, social empowerment, and protection

This comprehensive strategy has led to several accomplishments, including the allocation of 25% of parliamentary seats to women, the appointment of six female ministers to ministerial portfolios, and achieving the highest rates of women’s participation in the labor market

The rate of female unemployment decreased to 16.8% in 2022, down from 24.8% in 2014, and the percentage of working women increased to 39.1% in 2022, up from 38.6% in 2014

The proportion of women with bank accounts has risen to 27% in 2022, from 14% in 2014, reflecting their strong participation in promoting financial inclusion. Notably, there is now minimal to no discrimination against women in the approval of loans or financing

The Minister stressed that the Ministry of Emigration is committed to supporting Egyptian women abroad through various events and programs, including the “Masr tastatea – ta’a el marbouta” conference and collaboration with the National Council for Women to raise awareness about the risks of illegal immigration in six Egyptian governorates, resulting in increased awareness among young men and women, as well as mothers. She also highlighted the training programs provided by the Ministry to prepare young men and women for opportunities overseas

The ministry also actively supports sustainable financing for small, medium, and micro enterprises, in line with Egypt’s sustainable development goals localization

She elaborated on the positive economic impact, stating that we now witness minimal to no gender discrimination when it comes to loan approvals or financing

The Minister emphasized the Ministry of Immigration’s dedication to supporting Egyptian women living abroad through various initiatives and programs

These include the “Masr tastatea bel taa el marbouta” conference, collaborative efforts with the National Council for Women to raise awareness about the risks of illegal immigration in six Egyptian governorates, and training programs to equip young men and women for opportunities overseas

The ministry also actively supports sustainable financing for small, medium, and micro enterprises, aligning with Egypt’s sustainable development goals

She proudly noted that the Ministry of Immigration boasts a 40% female workforce, further emphasizing that Egyptian women are fully capable of achieving significant accomplishments in various fields if they are empowered and given the opportunities they deserve

Dr. Mona Morad, the CEO of Open Air and the mastermind behind the CEO Women conference, expressed her delight at the launch of this remarkable second edition. She emphasized the conference’s core mission, which is to bolster the representation of women, ensuring equal opportunities for their advancement and triumph.

The event aims to illuminate the stories of leading women in various fields, sharing their triumphs and challenges.

Dr. Morad remarked, “The conference operates with a resolute vision to empower and support women across multiple domains, especially those in leadership, the economy, education, entrepreneurship, technology, and artificial roles

We operate with a clear vision to establish a women-centric business community, where we focus on addressing their issues and all the challenges they encounter in their professional lives

This year’s conference is dedicated to exploring the role of technology and artificial intelligence in driving progress and innovation, acknowledging their pivotal roles in our daily lives

Dr. Mona emphasized the foundational role of women in society, from which civilizations evolved. She commended their continuous efforts to nurture individuals capable of building societies and shaping the future

The conference is committed to increasing women’s involvement in technology and artificial intelligence and ensuring their leadership in these vital domains, where they have already achieved significant milestones

Dr. Maya Morsi, President of the National Women’s Council, praised the significant success achieved by the conference in its previous edition

She emphasized in the speech delivered on her behalf by May Mahmoud that the Council was keen on supporting this edition as a confirmation of women’s rights, aligned with the vision of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi

pointed out that Egypt has achieved significant success in the last nine years, highlighting that the National Women’s Strategy plays a crucial role through its four pillars in promoting women’s leadership roles with the aim of maximizing women’s representation in the workforce

She also mentioned the establishment of the Observatory for Egyptian Women, which, through its reports, enables us to monitor and assess women’s work and address the specific gender gap in Egyptian boardrooms

The report for the year 2022 showed that women have achieved significant success in the boards of various companies, with a 22% increase in the Egyptian banking sector in 2022. Listed companies on the stock exchange increased to 17%, and the public sector saw a 9.3% increase in women’s representatio

Women’s representation in boardrooms in most sectors has been strengthened, aligning with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s directives during the celebration of Egyptian Labor Day to expedite achieving gender equality

as the inclusion of Egyptian women in decision-making positions supports the realization of Egypt’s Vision 2030

Mrs. Christina Arab, the United Nations Women’s Agency representative in Egypt, said: “Egypt has the highest percentage of female university graduates, representing about 47%. However, women make up only around 21% in the private sector

This is not necessarily due to competence, but rather because some families in rural areas do not allow girls to work, as the situation of women in i

The event is organized by ON AIR Group for the second consecutive year, emphasizing its commitment to advancing women’s leadership and economic empowerment.