Gender-Smart Investing in MENA

This Practitioner Brief presents key findings of research conducted in partnership by an Egyptian investment fund, Mezzan Investments, and the FCDO funded Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund (AWEF), from March to September 2021. The Brief aims to catalyze discussion and action across gender-smart investing (GSI) practitioners, Egyptian firms and impact investors. It has three specific objectives:

1. It contributes to thinking and ideas that align with the 2X Challenge’s global thought movement. It takes stock of emerging gaps and learning from GSI in Egypt and the wider MENA region.
2. It aims to encourage more businesses to adopt gender-smart investment strategies and scale their impact to achieve greater gender balance and empower more Egyptian women, with a focus on the financial inclusion sector.
3. It aims to catalyze innovative gender-smart investing practices among impact investors, starting with Mezzan Investments itself.

Ultimately, this brief suggests that a comprehensive and collective effort is needed in the MENA region to mobilize action to mainstream gender-smart investing.