In celebration of International Women’s Day, Mr. Bassel Rahmi, CEO of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), announced that the agency has invested EGP 17.4 billion in funding women’s projects from July 2014 to December 2024. This investment supported approximately 908,000 small and micro-projects, accounting for 45% of all projects financed by MSMEDA, and created around 1.2 million job opportunities for women during the same period.
Rahmi emphasized that MSMEDA’s strategy focuses on empowering women economically and socially by providing a supportive environment that encourages them to engage in freelance work. The agency offers diverse financial products, specialized programs, and technical and administrative support to enhance the success and sustainability of women’s projects.
He further noted that MSMEDA is committed to offering free training and professional services to assist women in establishing and expanding small and micro-projects. Special attention is given to supporting women’s production and craft clusters in rural and underserved areas, particularly in border governorates and Upper Egypt, to promote economic development in these regions.
In line with its corporate social responsibility initiatives, MSMEDA participates in awareness and health campaigns targeting Egyptian women in villages, as well as organizing literacy classes to enable women to enter the freelance labor market.
Beyond financial and technical support, MSMEDA extends marketing services for women’s products, aiming to open new marketing channels and improve project profitability. These services include e-marketing, professional product photography, and facilitating participation in local and central exhibitions, with women’s participation in local exhibitions reaching approximately 55%.
Mr. Rahmi concluded by reaffirming MSMEDA’s ongoing commitment to supporting Egyptian women in collaboration with various concerned authorities. He encouraged all women and girls to visit MSMEDA branches across the governorates to learn about and benefit from the services offered.
