Sixteen women pitched innovative solutions addressing gender-based violence against women and girls (GBV), digital safety, legal access, mental health, and livelihood security on December 17 at the Grand Egyptian Museum, marking the conclusion of the SHEImpact program, held in partnership between UNFPA and Gemini Africa.
The SHEImpact program is a social entrepreneurship incubator, providing holistic and targeted support for women, to develop impactful ventures that address GBV and enable them to achieve economic independence.
The program aims at supporting business-driven solutions to address and combat GBV against women and girls and provides tailored mentorship and practical support to ensure the effective implementation and growth of participants' initiatives.
With the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the incubator began with on-ground bootcamps held in August in Cairo, Qena and Beni Suef, where around 100 women from Cairo, Alexandria, Beni Suef, Fayoum, or Qena, gained essential entrepreneurial concepts, practical financial management skills, as well as learned about GBV against women and girls. Participants also were trained on business planning, marketing, digital skills, as well as knowledge on impact storytelling and pitching.
The final phase focused on individual mentorship, where an assessment of needs and specific business challenges will be identified, followed by individualized coaching sessions for each participant.
The final initiatives tackled GBV from new angles: cyber safety, safe housing, legal access, mental health, self-defense, and livelihoods. These ideas were not imagined in boardrooms—they were created by women who understand their communities’ needs better than anyone.
At the final event pitches included initiatives empowering women and girls to prevent and confront violence — particularly sexual harassment — through integrated self-defense training. Others enable women and girls to prevent and respond to online violence, through awareness sessions, guidance on secure internet use, and technical support to remove abusive online material. Another initiative focused on supporting Sudanese women who have been subjected to sexual violence. It provides integrated psychological, medical, and social assistance while raising awareness about critical health risks.
