By ; Bakinam Khaled – Samah Saeed

Mastercard and Women Choice, an international organization dedicated to advancing women’s personal and professional development, have partnered to launch a program – ‘Social Innovation Incubator (SII) For Women’s Employment’ – that will help create one million jobs for women across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), supporting economic growth and development in the region.

The announcement was made live from Capital Club in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a key business hub and leading place of innovative initiatives.

SII was established by Women Choice to provide comprehensive support for women entrepreneurs and create employment opportunities in their chosen field over the next five years. SII will also provide mentorship and training on topics such as business planning, capacity building, human resources, and recruitment expertise.

“We are excited to launch this program and to have the support of a global organization like Mastercard which is genuinely committed to bring change and improve the situation of women in the workplace. The success of ‘SII For Women’s Employment’ will be also linked to a series of strong partnerships with practical plans in place,” said Nezha Alaoui, Founder & CEO of Women Choice.

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. The collaboration with Women Choice is aligned with Mastercard’s inclusive growth agenda.

“At Mastercard, we are committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable world, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. 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,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard.

As part of its inclusivity efforts, Mastercard recently unveiled a coffee-table book, ‘Lasting Legacy - Honoring 25 Visionaries to Celebrate 25 Years of Priceless’ during Women’s Month 2023 in which Nezha Alaoui was featured alongside 24 other inspirational women leaders.

Additionally, Mastercard recently announced the second edition of its Women SME Leaders Awards to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women-owned and led businesses across Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. Nezha Alaoui will be part of the jury to review and select the winners who will be announced on 2 May 2023.

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.

The first chapters are being launched in the UAE and Morocco with the entire MENA region to follow as the goal is to empower women to take initiatives and grow social businesses both at a local and regional level.

The partnership is aligned 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.