AWIEF CONFERENCE 2022

AWIEF 2022

ADVANCING AFRICA THROUGH GENDER INTEGRATION

Co-organisers

In partnership with

An exciting journey of engagement with different government, development and private sector stakeholders, high-level speakers and sponsors culminated in the 8th edition of the Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum being held in North Africa for the first time.

We partnered with Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation under the dynamic leadership of H. E. Minister Rania A. Al-Mashat, and with the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association (EBA) to host the AWIEF2022 Hybrid Conference on-site at The Nile Ritz-Carlton in Cairo, Egypt and online via a virtual event platform.

Under the theme ‘Advancing Africa Through Gender Integration’, over 60 global speakers, including: H. E. Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission, H. E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, H. E. Ms. Nivine El-Kabbaj, Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, Solomon Quaynor, VP, Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization, African Development Bank Group, Maya Morsy, President, National Council for Women, Egypt, Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator, Egypt, Jackie Jones, Director, Gender Equality Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Izabela Milewska, Digital Skills Global Leader, Amazon Web Services (AWS) delivered extensive and stimulating dialogue and insights into key topics affecting entrepreneurship, economic growth and sustainability on the continent.

AWIEF2022 is a platform where issues were debated and new ideas explored.

The event offered participants and stakeholders an opportunity to engage, connect and build new business relationships on the sidelines of thought-provoking conference sessions.

The conference provided a fantastic platform for on-site and virtual exhibitors to showcase their businesses, products or services, projects, innovation and technologies to a Pan-African and international professional and business audience.

In a very special and colourful announcement by a Rwandan delegation during the #AWIEF2022, Kigali was announced as the Host City for our 2023 conference and awards. The #AWIEF2023 conference will take place on 2 & 3 November at the Kigali International Convention Centre (KICC), a landmark on the capital city’s landscape.

The delegation at #AWIEF2022 included Rwanda’s Ambassador to Egypt, H. E. Alfred Gakuba Kalisa; Esther Kunda, Director General, Innovation and Emerging Technologies, Rwanda Ministry of ICT and Innovation; members of the Women’s Chapter of Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation and representatives of the Rwanda Convention Bureau. Read more …

Capping the two-day #AWIEF2022 Conference, the winners of the 2022 AWIEF Awards were announced at a glittering ceremony an gala dinner on the rooftop of the Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo, Egypt.

The prestigious annual AWIEF Awards recognise, honour, and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa across various industry sectors for their achievements and contribution to the continent’s inclusive economic growth and social development.

H. E. Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa

Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission (AUC)

H. E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat

Minister of International Cooperation, Egypt

H. E. Dr. Nivine El-Kabbag

Minister of Social Solidarity, Egypt

H. E. Mr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar

Minister of Health and Population, Egypt

Dr. Maya Morsy

Member, United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, President, National Council for Women, Egypt

Solomon Quaynor

Vice-President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization, African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Sherif El Gabaly

Member, Egyptian Parliament, Member, Pan-African Parliament, Chairman, African Affairs Committee at the Egyptian Parliament, Chairman, Committee on Cooperation, International Relations, and Conflict Resolutions, African Parliament

Jackie Jones

Director, Gender Equality Division, Office of the President & Chief of Staff, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Christine Arab

Country Representative, UN Women Egypt

Ahmed Rezk

Deputy UNIDO Representative, Regional Hub in Egypt

Patricia Obozuwa

Vice President, Government Affairs, Communications & Sustainability for Africa, The Coca Cola Company

Dina Saleh

Regional Director of the Near East, North Africa and Europe Division (NEN), IFAD

Uzoma Dozie

Founder and CEO, Sparkle Digital Bank, Nigeria

Brenda Mbathi

CEO, GE East Africa

Dolapo Kukoyi

Managing Partner, Detail Commercial Solicitors, NIgeria

Grace Orife

Chief Executive Officer, Adelaar Energy Limited, Nigeria

Malvika Iyer

International motivational speaker and disability rights activist, India

Rita Edozie

Dean, John W McCormack School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts-Boston, USA

Bongani Sithole

MD, Founders Factory Africa, South Africa

Roberta Annan

Founder, Impact Fund For African Creatives (IFFAC), Ghana

Georges Vivien Houngbonon

Digital, TMT Economist, World Bank Group – International Finance Corporation, USA

Chinyere Almona

Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Nabhit Kapur

Founder president, Peaceful Mind Foundation, India

Anisa Bek Derna

Climate Activist and Founder, Project Mulan, Libya

Ndiarka Mbodji

Founder & CEO, Kowry Energy GmbH, Germany

Maïmouna Coulibaly

Founder and owner, Faso Kaba Seed Company, Mali

Yazeed Shequem

Digital Skills Program Manager, AWS, MENA

Azza El-Shinnawy

Country Manager, AWS Egypt

Glenda Gray

President and CEO, South African Medical Research Council

Keiko Miwa

Regional Director for Human Development, The World Bank

Nshuti Mbabazi

Lead, Africa Policy & Partnerships, Better Than Cash Alliance, United Nations Capital Development Fund 

Chizor Malize

MD and CEO Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), Nigeria

Monica Oraro

Manager, Business and Product Development, Pan-African Payments Settlement System (PAPSS), Afrixembank

Nevine Abdelkhalek

Dean, School of Continuing Education, Nile University, Egypt

Catherine Nakalembe

Lead, Nasa Africa Harvest Programme

Irene Ochem

Founder and CEO, AWIEF

Izabela Milewska

Global Head of Digital Skills Enablement, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Almas Jiwani

President Emeritus, United Nations Women Canada

Aly El Shalakany

CEO, Cairo Angels Syndicate Fund

Mariam Masha

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Interventions, Nigeria

Dalia Ibrahim

CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House & Founder of EdVentures, Egypt

Amany Asfour

President, African Business Council and President, Egyptian Business Women Association (EBWA)

Elena Atanasova Panova

UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt

Marieme Esther Dassanou

Manager, Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA), African Development Bank Group

Nirmala Reddy

Strategy Specialist, Enterprise Development, Business Banking, Nedbank.

Irene Danquah

Technical Expert, Business Environment Reform, Investment Climate Reform Facility

Ali Eissa

Chairman, Egyptian Businessmen’s Association (EBA)

Rania El Rafie

Group Account Director, APO Group, Egypt

Cynthia Griffin

Minister Counselor Commercial Affairs, sub-Saharan Africa, US Department of Commerce

Nishdeep Sethi

Head of Structured Finance and Products, African Guarantee Fund

Sabrina Salama

Head of MENA partnerships, Seedstars, Egypt/France

Josse Dorra Fiani

Founder and President, Knowledge Economy Foundation/Bashaier

Hossam Elgamal

Ambassador to Africa, International Chamber of Commerce Digital Economy Commission, Egypt

Folarin Oreoluwa Aiyegbusi

Google Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa

Esther Kunda

Director General, Innovation & Emerging Technologies at Ministry of ICT and Innovation, Government of Rwanda

Heba Abdel Latif

Head of FI and Correspondent Banking, Commercial International Bank, Egypt

Mohamed Youssef

Board Member of The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.)

Jasmine Taha Zaki

Media Personality and Actress

Andrew Gwadiva

Vice President, GreenTec Capital Partners

Dr. Marina Wes

Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, The World Bank

Hassan Fayed

Founder & CEO, Aydi, Egypt

Noha Abdel Hamid

Vice President, Women Entrepreneurs Network, Egypt

Nora Toma

Deputy CEO, Education for Employment-Egypt (EFE-Egypt)

Dalia Tadros

Assistant Minister of Public Enterprise, Egypt

Yahya Al-Wathiq Billah

Head, Egyptian Commercial Services, Ministry of Trade and Industry

Abeer Shakweer

Assistant Resident Representative Inclusive Growth & Innovation Team Leader, UNDP

Heike Harmgart

Managing Director for the SEMED region, EBRD

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(47 from Africa)

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