Girl Up MENA

This was truly one of the most remarkable events I’ve attended. First, it was inspiring to see the Girl Up graduates take center stage, leading nearly 80% of the talks—a testament to their confidence and leadership! and personally interacting with one of them as a moderator in our panel Hafsa Maher who was a great figure of intelligence and confidence. Second, the event featured impactful, action-driven workshops focused on women’s safety, mental well-being, and empowerment, all facilitated by credible experts and organizations. And third, the energy in the room was incredible, a reflection of the passion and awareness of this new generation. Feeling grateful to witness such a powerful movement Girl Up MENA and to a friend and influential figure in the ecosystem who has been a major force behind this success Youmna Khaled El Khattam. ??

Wishing the Girl Up community a blessed and peaceful Ramadan! As we embrace this month of reflection, connection, and giving, we’d love to celebrate with you by looking back on a truly inspiring event—the Egypt Girl Up Leadership Summit that took place just a month ago. This incredible gathering brought together 100+ young leaders from Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Sudan, showcasing the power of partnerships in creating opportunities for girls and young women. Through the joint efforts between Girl Up, United Nations Foundation and San3a Tech supported by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives in Egypt, and hosted by the Université Fran?aise d'Egypte (UFE), the summit was a testament to what collaboration can achieve. From Girl Talks and Girl led workshops, More than 15+ Expert hands-on workshops to two powerful panels on business, STEM, arts, and media, we were honored to learn from some of Egypt’s most influential women. A special highlight was the participation of Ulric Shannon, the Canadian Ambassador to Egypt, who reinforced the importance of investing in young leaders. A heartfelt thank you to every Girl Up leader, partner, speaker, mentor, and participant who contributed their knowledge, skills, and expertise to make this summit a success. This community is a force for change, and we can’t wait to continue building together. Special thank you to our Summit speakers, workshop, outreach and catering partners and staff: GIZ Egypt Menan Samy Walaa Hammad Inji Amr Borai Mona Ibrahim ???? Yasmeen El Sayed Haya Khairat Malak Hatem @Zahra Ramy Filmmaker @Heba Youssry tram alwan Nada Darwish Dawar Arts & Development Mariam chehata JRNY Dalia Said Zahra Abdellah Noor El-Tahan E7kky Namees Arnous Nada Bedawy Speak Up ?????/? Love Matters Arabic ???? ????? Norhan Bader TBS - The Bakery Shop Shahenda Helal Alwan wa Awtar Schneider Electric Sama Salah Aly Fahmy Mariam Shaheen Aya Amgad Mounir Greenish Youssra Fouda Hajar Al-Beltaji And a heartfelt thank you to our Youth Steering committee who helped in envisioning the summit and making it alive through MCing, moderating, giving workshops and talks Fatema AlZahraa Brisha Farida Y. Hafsa Maher Hana Ehab @Retaj ismail @Tasneem ismail @Shaza Hany Let’s keep the momentum and space going! #RamadanKareem #shiningbright #GirlUpEgypt #Leadership #Empowerment #Partnerships #STEM #Business #Arts #Media

The first-ever Girl Up Leadership Summit in Egypt! One of the most important events of the year took place on the 1st of February 2025 at the Université Fran?aise d'Egypte (UFE) An amazing event featuring many great aspects from an inspiring panel of speakers of women in STEM, business, arts and cinema, to 14 creative and educational workshops by pillars of the tech, climate change and arts fields, and many more exciting activities taking place throughout the day ?? I had the amazing honour of being a part of the event's steering committee, with Hafsa Maher, Hana Ehab, Farida Y., Tasnem Massoud, Shaza Hany and Retaj Ismail. A group of 7 girls dedicated to working hard to make sure this event could run as smoothly as possible, meeting weekly for 3 months, hammering out all logistics issues, preparing and suggesting speakers and gathering information from girls before the event to ensure that it is perfectly suited for them. We worked hard to prepare for it and are so proud to say that it all paid off ?? The most special part of the summit was leading a workshop about "Vision Boards" with my favourite co-lead Farida Y., for our second time with Girl Up. It was an amazing experience meeting our workshop attendees and helping and inspiring them all ???? This event could not have been made possible if not for the support of Girl Up, United Nations Foundation and Girl Up MENA the best organisation that supports all women around the world Also San3a Tech, the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives CFLI/FCIL, United Nations Foundation and TE Connectivity

This weekend, I had the privilege to speak in two of most prestigious universities in Egypt m. I was invited by Greenish to speak about storytelling and content creation to advocate for environmental sustainability at Nile University. And the other event was close to my heart as I met with young ambitious girls representing Girl Up, United Nations Foundation to talk about empowerment, equality and more ????

Being part of the Girl up Girl Up MENA Girl Up, United Nations Foundation leadership summit event as a Steering Committee member was an incredible journey, but the highlight for me was leading a workshop for an amazing group of young girls. From the moment I started speaking, I could see the excitement in their eyes—their curiosity, their eagerness to learn, and their determination to dream big. But one moment stood out the most. One of the girls looked at me and said, “I want to be like you someday.” It was a humbling and heartwarming reminder of the power of mentorship and representation. Sometimes, simply showing up, sharing knowledge, and believing in others can leave an impact far greater than we realize. This experience reinforced my passion for creating opportunities where girls can see themselves as future leaders and changemakers. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and for everyone who made this event a success. Can’t wait to continue this journey of empowerment and leadership! #Leadership #GirlsEmpowerment #Mentorship #FutureLeaders #NileDaughters #girlup

???????? ????????? I had the incredible opportunity to moderate the STEM & Business Panel at the Girl Up MENA?& San3a Tech?Egypt Leadership Summit Supported by the Canadian Fund for Local initiatives. Huge thanks to Youmna Khaled El Khattam for trusting me with this role and giving me the chance to meet and learn from inspiring women in STEM and business. Their stories of resilience and success not only enriched the panel but also?gave me valuable insights that helped me navigate the moderation Walaa Hammad , Inji Amr Borai ,Mona Ibrahim ???? and Yasmeen El Sayed ?? Beyond the summit, I’ve also been part of the Steering Committee for the past three months an experience that introduced me to some of the most talented and brilliant girls. I’ve learned so much and am beyond grateful to have worked alongside them Fatema AlZahraa Brisha , Tasnem Massoud , Hana Ehab, Farida Y. , Retaj Massoud and Shaza Hany?? Another highlight of this journey was meeting Ulric Shannon , the Canadian Ambassador to Egypt. It was truly inspiring to engage in conversations that broadened my perspective on leadership A massive thank you to Girl Up, United Nations Foundation for giving us a platform to be seen and to see the world from new perspectives. And of course, meeting Malak Hatem?was just the beginning of something exciting , stay tuned for what’s coming next???? #GirlUp #EgyptSummit #Leadership #EmpoweringGirls #San3aTech #STEM

Last year, as democracy faced threats on a global scale, climate disasters escalated, and gender equity came under attack, Girl Up leaders rose to the challenge. 2024 Girl Up's Impact Report shows how our community turned climate anxiety into action, leveraged technology to break barriers, and transformed personal experiences into advocacy. ?? Check out the highlights, achievements, and what’s next for our movement: bit.ly/GirlUpReport

? Reflecting on an Inspiring Journey! ? I’m incredibly grateful to have been a mentor in the Femme Innovate, a program designed to empower young women in education, heritage, the environment, and accessibility through STEM and leadership, organized by San3a Tech Tech in collaboration with Girl Up MENA Up MENA, proudly funded by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) and supported by Creativa innovation hubs & TIEC. This initiative brought together 50+ talented young women from across Egypt, equipping them with technical and leadership skills to tackle real-world challenges. Our focus on recycling and agriculture sparked innovative ideas and solutions for a more sustainable future. ???? As a mentor, it was inspiring to guide and support these brilliant minds—helping them transform their ideas into action and empowering them to become changemakers. Seeing their growth, determination, and creativity was truly rewarding! ?? Excited to have attended Egypt’s first-ever Girl Up Leadership Summit! ?? It was an inspiring gathering of passionate young leaders, changemakers, and mentors coming together to empower the next generation of women in STEM, leadership, and social impact. ???? A heartfelt thanks to the organizers: Raguia Hassan , Aya Mosa , Nayera Etayeb , mentors: Esraa Rageh , Ali Elkashef , Mohraeel Gerges , Moustafa Mesalm , Rabab Hassan ,Omar Mustafa , Omar , Aly , Asmaa D. , Asmaa , Salma , Alaa , for making this journey so memorable. ?? And my amazing team Rahma , Menna , Toka Proud to be part of this journey and excited for what’s next! #GirlUp #LeadershipSummit #WomenInSTEM #Empowerment #FutureLeaders #Innovation #Mentorship #San3aTech #Leadership #Sustainability

(Scroll down for Arabic) Our Team Wins 40,000 EGP at "Femme Innovate" Hackathon!!! ???? Today, I’m thrilled to share an incredible achievement! Our team—Mai Fahmy , Menna Ahmed, and our amazing supervisor Asmaa D. —won first place at the "Femme Innovate" Hackathon, earning 40,000 EGP! ??? First, I can’t thank my team enough. They were my rock and the core reason behind this success. We complemented each other perfectly, and our chemistry was our secret weapon. ?? A special shoutout to Raguia Hassan ,Nayera Eltayeb ,San3a Tech , Girl Up MENA and Creativa innovation hubs for their flawless, professional organization that made everything run smoothly and exceeded our expectations! ???? And a huge thanks to the brilliant judges Mohamed Hani Ismail ???? and Lamiaa Nail for their insightful feedback and smooth guidance, which helped us refine our ideas significantly. ?? But what truly made this experience unforgettable were the new friendships I made! I met inspiring, talented women like Hafsa Maher , ehsan mohamed , Mai Fahmy , Hana Abdulaziz , Basmala Alaa , Asmaa Osama and Goody Tark … You all taught me the power of perseverance and creativity. ???? This isn’t the end… It’s the start of a new chapter full of challenges and adventures, where we’ll keep proving that determination and innovation can transform our reality for the better. ?? This is just the beginning of the journey, and I’m excited to share every new step with you all… Stay tuned! ?? ???? ?????? ???? ??? 40,000 ?? ??????? "Femme Innovate"! ???? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ????! ?????? ?????? ?? Mai Fahmy ? ??? ????? ???????? ??????? Asmaa D. ? ???? ??????? ????? ?? ??????? "Femme Innovate" ? ????? ????? ?????40,000 ! ??? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ??. ?? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ????????? ???? ???? ?? ?????. ?? ???? ??? ???? ?? Raguia Hassan ?Nayera Eltayeb ? San3a Tech ?Girl Up MENA ??? ??????? ?????? ? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ????????! ???? ??? ???? ???????? ???????? Mohamed Hani Ismail ???? ?Lamiaa Nail ? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ???????? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ????. ?? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ???????? ??????? ???? ????????! ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? Hafsa Maher ? ehsan mohamed ? Mai Fahmy ? Hana Abdulaziz ? Basmala Alaa ? ?Asmaa Osama ,Goody Tark … ???? ?????? ??????? ????????. ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?????… ?? ????? ??? ????? ????? ????????? ??????????? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????. ?? ?? ????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????! ?? #Hackathon_Win #Teamwork #Innovation #Inspiration #NewBeginnings #Femme_Innovate #Creativa_Hubs

?? The call for applications to She Entrepreneurs 2025 is open! Are you an impact driven female founder in Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine or Tunisia? Is your business contributing to sustainable climate solutions? ???? Apply to the Swedish Institute’s She Entrepreneurs programme if you want to: ?? Boost your leadership skills ?? Support the expansion of your business ???? Gain first-hand experience of the entrepreneurship community in Stockholm. ?? Connect with a strong network of like-minded peers The programme combines regular workshops and tailored mentoring support online with one intensive week of onsite learning in Stockholm, Sweden. ?? Click the link in the comments to larn more and apply! Deadline is 6 March. #sheentrepreneurs #sileadershipprogramme #femalefounders #entrepreneurship Photo: Moa Karlberg