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The Egyptian Women on Boards Observatory at The American University in Cairo has released the eighth edition of its annual monitoring report, revealing continued progress in women’s representation across corporate boards in Egypt.
The report, launched at the university’s New Cairo campus, brought together policymakers, academics, business leaders, and institutional partners to evaluate developments in female leadership and governance across various sectors.
According to the report, more than 60 percent of companies in Egypt now include at least two women on their boards of directors, marking a significant milestone in the country’s journey toward greater gender diversity in leadership positions.
The report described 2025 as a turning point in Egypt’s eight-year effort to achieve the national target of 30 percent female representation on boards by 2030. However, it also warned of a noticeable slowdown in growth rates over the past two years.
Dr. Sherif Kamel stated that reaching the 30 percent target is not only a national commitment but also a strategic necessity that supports innovation, stronger governance, and greater competitiveness.
He explained that the country now has a strong pipeline of qualified female leaders, with more than 1,160 women identified by the Egyptian Women on Boards Observatory as eligible candidates for board membership.
The report found that women’s representation across listed companies, banks, non-banking financial institutions, and public business sector companies reached 24.8 percent in 2025, compared to 24.3 percent in 2024. This reflects an overall increase of 148 percent since the launch of the index, despite annual growth slowing to 2.1 percent.
The non-banking financial sector recorded the highest level of female representation at 26.9 percent, followed by companies listed on the Egyptian Exchange at 22.3 percent and banks at 22.1 percent. Public business sector companies remained the lowest at 11.8 percent.
Omar Reda, Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange, revealed that 451 women currently serve on the boards of listed companies in Egypt. He noted that broader female participation is becoming increasingly visible within Egypt’s corporate governance culture.
He stressed that diversity has evolved from being an exception into an essential component of sustainable capital markets and institutional governance.
The report also highlighted several key achievements, including the presence of at least one woman on the board of every bank operating in Egypt. In addition, most companies and banks across different sectors now include at least two women on their boards.
Despite this progress, the report warned that Egypt still remains approximately six percent below its national goal of reaching 30 percent female representation by 2030.
To close this gap, around 77 additional women would need to join boards annually across listed companies, banks, non-banking financial institutions, and public business sector companies, resulting in a cumulative need for approximately 383 women over the next five years.
The report called for revisiting existing governance frameworks and quotas issued by the Financial Regulatory Authority, the Egyptian Exchange, and the Central Bank of Egypt. It emphasized that current requirements mandating either 25 percent female representation or at least two women on boards may no longer be sufficient to meet Egypt Vision 2030 goals.
The report also pointed to recent structural developments, including the cancellation of the Ministry of Public Business Sector in February 2025 and the listing of several state-owned companies on the Egyptian Exchange in April 2026, as potential opportunities for stronger governance reforms and broader diversity compliance.
Hala Barakat, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at The American University in Cairo, stated that the observatory has worked closely with regulatory authorities and national partners over the past eight years to strengthen women’s leadership in corporate governance.
She added that the recent slowdown in growth highlights the need for renewed momentum to accelerate women’s access to leadership positions and align governance frameworks with Egypt’s ambitions for inclusive economic growth.
Dr. Hala El Said, Advisor to The American University in Cairo, also emphasized that the progress achieved in female representation reflects deliberate policies, institutional commitment, and the capabilities of Egyptian women themselves.
She noted that while the 25 percent target reflected an earlier phase, the 30 percent goal should now define the next stage of Egypt’s corporate and economic development.
