Egypt has launched the Maaki (With You) initiative, a public-private partnership aimed at economically and socially empowering one million women in Upper Egypt through digital and technological skills training. The program is a collaboration between the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), Vodafone Egypt, Samsung Electronics Egypt, and CARE Egypt.
Maaki focuses on enabling women to start and grow small enterprises, contributing to economic development and community participation, particularly in underserved rural areas and border governorates. Basel Rahmy, CEO of MSMEDA, highlighted the agency’s commitment to expanding financial and technical services for women in alignment with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s directives on digital transformation and women’s empowerment.
Since 2014, MSMEDA has invested EGP 17.9 billion in women-led projects, financing over 918,000 small and micro-enterprises and creating more than 1.2 million jobs nationwide. Mohamed Abdallah, CEO of Vodafone Egypt, described Maaki as essential for bridging the digital divide and integrating rural women into Egypt’s digital economy.
CARE Egypt, part of a global movement focused on ending poverty and promoting gender equality, is a key partner in the initiative.
Maaki supports Egypt’s broader national goals to advance digital inclusion, foster innovation, and build a tech-skilled society. Women constitute nearly half of Egypt’s population, with 52.2 million out of 107.3 million citizens, according to CAPMAS.
