The International Women Summit
The International Women Summit Convenes its Fifth Edition in Cairo Under the Theme “Women’s Role in Economic Transformation”
Cairo, Egypt – March 7, 2024 – The International Women Summit (IWS) announces the launch of its fifth edition in Cairo on March 7, 2024, at the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel. This year’s theme is “Women’s Role in Economic Transformation,” and the summit aims to showcase the role of women in driving economic transformation and empowering them in various fields.
Each year, the IWS selects a new theme related to the role of women in society to shed light on how they have become inspiring role models in various aspects and fields. In its fifth edition, the summit has chosen to focus on economic transformation, and the event was attended by leading experts in this field.
The choice of this theme highlights the role of women in achieving economic development and reflects the summit’s commitment to promoting the role of women and highlighting their important contributions to achieving positive and sustainable change in societies.
Dr. Ahmed El-Shal, Expand Chairman, stated that the conference aims to highlight the successes of women and strengthen their voices in society. “We are here to present to all participants inspiring success stories that tell the challenges and victories of exceptional women. We have a group of inspiring role models of women leaders in their fields, and we also have many young women who are starting their journey as entrepreneurs. We seek to support and encourage them to see and be inspired by women who have succeeded and lived real success stories. We have seen the positive results that women can achieve when given the full opportunity to participate, and we are committed to promoting these values and strengthening the role of women in all aspects of practical and social life”.
The IWS is held in light of the support of the political leadership for the role of women in economic and social development, as the country is witnessing significant developments in empowering women and enhancing their participation in various fields. The summit reflects Egypt’s firm commitment to promoting the role of women and empowering them to build a more diverse and prosperous society.
Dr. Amira Hosam, Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development for Sustainable Development Affairs, added that the Egyptian Country is working to empower women and young people with scientific and professional qualifications and to help them occupy leadership positions in the country. Dr. Amira is one of the youngest deputy ministers in the Egyptian government, and she has worked on several files, the most prominent of which are the administrative reform file and the transition to the new administrative capital, and the sustainable development file. She is currently working on several initiatives, the most prominent of which is the “Be an Ambassador” initiative for sustainable development, and other technical initiatives related to green public investments and urban development. She will review the experience of empowering women and youth in these initiatives at the Global Women’s Summit.
The conference announces the distribution of the “Top Women Awards” to some “Icons of Women’s Leadership” to honor them in various fields. The awards included several categories, such as “Entrepreneur of the Year 2024,” which will honor women who have shown exceptional leadership and innovation in their entrepreneurial projects. The “Women in Technology” award also presented to honor women who have made significant contributions to the field of technology. In addition, the “Community Initiative of the Year” award presented in recognition of women who have initiated impactful projects that have made a difference in their communities, highlighting their dedication to social change and community development. These awards aim to celebrate the achievements of women and inspire others to reach new heights of success.
This year’s conference brings together approximately 35 experts from various industries and fields to share their experiences and knowledge on a single platform full of inspiration and motivation. The experts discussed exciting and diverse topics, ranging from the impact of sustainable agriculture and food systems on economic growth to the path to leadership and success and the role of innovative technology in promoting and facilitating business. The speakers also addressed the challenges and opportunities related to financial technology in the banking sector and provide valuable and inspiring insights to the audience to inspire innovation and success. A full rich event program consisting of 5 consecutive panels and 5parallel workshops engaging with 650+ attendees.
It is worth noting that the IWS is being held this year on the occasion of International Women’s Day to highlight the issues of inclusion and diversity. It seeks to promote the concept of inclusion in the fields of work, economy, and society by shedding light on the role of women in economic transformation. The summit aims to promote equal opportunities and encourage the effective participation of women in all sectors.
Engy El Maghraby, Deputy CEO of the Dairy Sector at Beti Company – one of Almarai companies, added, “I am proud to participate in the activities of the International Women Summit, which highlights the achievements of women around the world. At Beti, we are committed to promoting gender diversity as well as the professional development of women in the juice and dairy sector. In a clear indication of our efforts, we were able to achieve a significant increase in the proportion of women represented in the company. We successfully increased women’s representation by 49% last year compared to 2022, and we reached 21% in women’s representation in leadership positions. Additionally, in senior management positions, we reached 30%. Furthermore, we encourage and support women to reach positions traditionally dominated by their male counterparts. The company provided appropriate educational opportunities for women in Beheira Governorate to prepare talented female employees to take on various roles within the system in the future. Committed to supporting both working mothers and fathers, we established a nursery to provide a safe environment for their children, while extending maternity leave to 4 months and implementing paternity leave for the first-time last year. From this perspective, we can work together to create a workplace where all employees have the opportunity to succeed and thrive”.
Walid Menessi, Head of Operations at Expand, stated, “I am grateful for this opportunity to talk about the topic of inclusion and gender equality, and how women can play a prominent role in all aspects of work. In recent years, we have witnessed significant progress in our understanding of the importance of achieving gender equality. We have realized that inclusion is not just a women’s issue, but a human issue that concerns everyone. Encouraging gender equality and ensuring equal opportunities for all is not only morally right, but it is also the foundation for achieving sustainable development and prosperity for societies. It requires promoting a culture of inclusion in the workplace and in society, and ensuring that equal opportunities are available for everyone to participate and be represented in all sectors and fields. This is what is being discussed in some of the panel discussions this year”.
Mrs.. Abeer Helmy Saleh, Managing Director of Misr Insurance (Takaful Hayah), explained that the emergence of signs of women’s empowerment by women’s organizations was in the 1970s. Since then, women have increased their ability to control essential economic and financial resources, which has helped them move from a lower economic position in society to a higher economic power, granting them financial independence in the first place, which has boosted their self-confidence and competitiveness. Empowerment as an action is the process of women becoming stronger and more confident by overcoming difficulties and increasing their participation in the labor market. Therefore, three interrelated elements are necessary for women to achieve strategic empowerment: resources, management, and achievements. Achieving competence in these three elements has enabled women to hold high positions. “I believe that the clear support from the state for women in all fields and their active participation in all sectors is an indispensable necessity to achieve further economic growth and stability in the country”.
The International Women’s Summit is a vital platform for exchanging experiences and building networks between women leaders and influencers around the world. It strengthens the role of women in decision-making and achieving sustainable development. It is also an opportunity to review the challenges and opportunities facing women in the economic field and to build effective partnerships between leaders and influencers in this area. The summit also seeks to inspire and motivate women to achieve greater achievements and strengthen their role in economic and social development.