Women Choice, an international organisation dedicated to advancing women’s personal and professional development, has partnered with Mastercard to launch a new program: ‘Social Innovation Incubator (SII) For Women’s Employment’.
The Women Choice and Mastercard-led program aims to support the creation of one million jobs for women across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), while also supporting economic growth and development in the region.
Women Choice established SII to provide comprehensive support for female entrepreneurs and create employment opportunities in their chosen fields across the next five years. SII also plans to provide mentorship and training on topics including business planning, capacity building, human resources, and recruitment expertise.
Through its collaboration with Mastercard, the Women Choice initiative will not only provide one million employment opportunities for women but also empower female social entrepreneurs across the Arab world with the proper training and resources to place at least 1,000 women in their respective enterprises.
Supporting women across the Middle East and North Africa
Nezha Alaoui, founder and CEO of Women Choice, explained the importance of the program launch. Alaoui said: “We are excited to launch this program and to have the support of a global organisation like Mastercard which is genuinely committed to bringing change and improving the situation of women in the workplace. The success of ‘SII For Women’s Employment’ also links to a series of strong partnerships with practical plans in place.”
Mastercard has been at the forefront of providing women with access to digital tools and training to help them start and grow their businesses, creating mentorship and networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs, and working with employers to create more job opportunities for women.
Amnah Ajmal, executive vice president of market development in EEMEA for Mastercard, also discussed the program launch. Ajmal said: “Our partnership with Women Choice will not only have a significant impact on women across the region but also provide them with the skills, resources and tools they need to succeed and drive economic growth in the region.”
The partnership aligns with Mastercard’s global commitment to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.
