Wafaa Amin’s dream was to help women get ahead through skills training and to confront human rights abuses like female genital mutilation (FGM] that many women and girls face in life.
“FGM is a big problem in my village, and my goal is to create agents of change,” says Wafaa.
Nearly nine in ten women and girls aged 15 to 49 have endured FGM in Egypt, and the UNFPA Social Innovation Incubator supports female entrepreneurs like Wafaa to bring their business ideas to life while tackling harmful practices in their communities.
Wafaa was among seven social entrepreneurs selected for support in Egypt in 2022. She received seed funding, guidance, and support for her Sohag Governorate startup, which trains women and girls in handicrafts and embroidery to sell and brings them together to share information.
“After watching a film (on the risks and damage of FGM), I ask the women if this has happened to them personally and how it has impacted them. I often ask them if this is how we want to treat our daughters and if we want them to go through all this,” Wafaa says.
Wafaa has trained more than 115 women and girls since the program’s launch in 2022, and participants have sewn messages condemning FGM into products they sell at special exhibitions.
“I make sure to invite community and religious leaders to our exhibitions so they can back up what we are saying about the risks from FGM,” Wafaa explains, according to the “Arab States” website.
Working with the Life Makers Foundation, youth and civil society networks, and development partners, the Social Innovation Incubator provides a mentorship program for entrepreneurs across Egypt. It links them to opportunities to grow and sustain their businesses over time, with the support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
“At UNFPA, we know that innovation is key to unlocking an Arab world of opportunity, and it is good if women and girls can drive innovation that serves and empowers them. Having women in the driver’s seat provides better solutions that cater to their needs and would shape a better world for everyone,” says Frederika Meijer, UNFPA Representative in Egypt.
Egypt and the wider Arab region are brimming with innovation. The area has a vibrant startup scene, with one in three startups led or founded by women. A growing innovation ecosystem is delivering social impact and changing lives for the better, and with a young, vibrant, and growing population, the opportunities for creative progress are enormous.
“By empowering women and girls, unleashing the potential of youth, harnessing creativity to boost reproductive health, rights, and choices, and leveraging knowledge and data, our innovation portfolios are helping to propel progress in building peaceful and prosperous societies across the region,” notes Laila Baker, UNFPA Regional Director for the Arab States.
In Egypt, the UNFPA Social Innovation Incubator is moving from strength to strength, growing its network to boost women’s and girls’ skills, rights, and futures. Wafaa Amin is reaching out to new horizons to reach 2,000 women and girls in the coming years.
“I want to expand and open branches in other governorates,” Wafaa explains. “But mostly, I want to protect girls from FGM.”
