Cairo (Egypt), 27-29 October 2019 – Professional and business women leaders met in Cairo, Egypt, on 27 October for a two-day conference titled Africa Regional Conference of International Federation of Business and Professional Women. Donata Garrasi, Director of Political Affairs in the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region attended the conference. The theme of this high-level gathering was: “Economic Empowerment of Women for Africa’s 2063 Development Agenda, Africa Continental Free Trade Area and Sustainable Development Goals”.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Amany Asfour, President of the International Federation for Business and Professional Women, highlighted the relevance of this conference theme to the one for the Triennium of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women “where the core of the whole Sustainable Development Goals is about ending poverty, ensuring food security, healthy lives for all, educating all women and girls, ensuring gender equality and women empowerment, access to sanitation and affordable energy, securing employment and descent work for the youth, access to justice, achieving economic growth and sustainable development.”

The meeting focused on the economic empowerment of women, followed by a trade fair for women entrepreneurs and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and a fashion show highlighting Africa’s cultural diversity and creativity.

More than 200 delegates from around Africa and the world attended the conference, among whom women leaders, women entrepreneurs, business and professional women, women owners of SMEs, ministers of Gender and Women, as well as representatives of business councils, UN agencies, financial institutions, multi-national companies and other stakeholders.

The conference was organized by Business and Professional Africa Region, African Alliance for Women Empowerment, the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, and hosted by the Business and Professional Women of Egypt and the Egyptian Business Women Association.