Social entrepreneurs showcased innovative solutions for the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to a panel of experts at a pitching event of the Social Innovation Incubator on March 19. 

This comes as part of the Social Innovation Incubator launched by UNFPA with Life Makers Foundation and Innovety in Sohag in September 2022, to address grass-root challenges in the areas of reproductive health, family planning, maternal health, gender-based violence and harmful practices through empowering youth to generate creative and context-related solutions, with the support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy. 

The first cycle focused specifically on FGM in Upper Egypt with the “Dafayer” initiative, and empowered young people to design sustainable solutions that are both profitable and have a social impact for the elimination of FGM in their communities.

Seven teams were selected to present their solutions and business models in the pitching event to a panel of experts and received guidance on their ideas. The event also provided them with the networking space with potential partners and donors.

The Social Innovation Incubator builds on existing partnerships, engagement with civil society and youth networks, and the growing social enterprise ecosystem in Egypt to implement a successful community-led initiative. 

Through this model, UNFPA aims to harness the collective innovation power of young people with a focus on young women - potential entrepreneurs- from all around Egypt as well as partner community organizations and youth networks, while engaging with young people, raising their awareness and developing their knowledge around design thinking and venture building.

During the incubator, social innovation teams were supported with both technical and financial support (minimal seed funding) to enable them to prototype/test their solutions and reach a minimum viable product (MVP).