The German embassy in Cairo hosted on Thursday the closing ceremony of the “Women Leadership” programme to support female managers in Egypt’s financial sector. 

The programme is organised by the German Agency for International Development (GIZ), the German Development Bank (KFW), and the German embassy in Egypt.

The goal of the three-month programme is to give the participants the confidence to build on their authentic, feminine strengths as leaders in their careers through a mix of monthly online training, in-person group discussions, one on one mentoring sessions, and a tandem system whereby two women leaders empower each other.

Out of 160 applicants, 20 women entrepreneurs have participated in the programme with the aim to take their businesses to the next level by focusing on areas including business resilience, business digitisation, and sustainability growth.

The German Ambassador to Egypt Frank Hartmann said that the ceremony comes on the occasion of International Women’s Day and as part of the Gender Equality Week activities. 

It is also a chance, he said, to recognize the importance of women and their contributions to society, both in Egypt and internationally.

“We are celebrating the success of flourishing start-up businesses run by Egyptian women,” he said, adding that such a programme and similar activities show that the more diverse and inclusive we are, the more we can achieve together as a society, a company, or an embassy.

“We see that women’s voices, ideas and resources are crucial for societal progress and stability,” Hartmann stated.

The ambassador also pointed out that in order to tackle today’s complex challenges, in climate, social, economic, or political development, policies must be driven by diverse voices from all parts of the society.

Hartmann added that Germany is adopting a ‘Feminist Foreign Policy’ to help build a secure, sustainable, and prosperous future for all.

“Societies which thrive for equality and work towards more peaceful, just, and inclusive development are economically more successful than those that exclude women and others from equal participation,” he concluded.