As a celebration of women business leaders across the Middle East and Africa, Mastercard has partnered with Entrepreneur Middle East to present the first ever Women SME Leaders Awards 2022.
The awards will recognize and further empower women-owned and run SMEs across the region. They will highlight the individuals and enterprises that are shaping the future of this dynamic region and will culminate in a virtual awards ceremony on 29th of March 2022.
Nominations are open, women SME leaders across all walks of life are invited to take part.
There are no costs for attending or nominating at this event. Nomination deadline: February 28th, 2022. Click here
All-female individuals or businesses who have their headquarters or offices in the Middle East and Africa or offer their services to these markets can submit their nominations for one or more of the 22 awards. The awards allow for individuals to win in more than one category.
“At Mastercard, we believe that women-owned businesses are the catalyst for economic growth, improving the lives of everyone, everywhere. The passion that women SME owners display is unmatched and they raise the bar for everyone. That is why Mastercard has curated the Women SME Leaders Awards to recognize and celebrate women entrepreneurs across the Middle East and Africa,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard.
The awards are jointly curated by the Entrepreneur Middle East team who will vet shortlisted companies and then pass them onto the judging committee that will be chaired by Mastercard. Following the independent evaluation of the shortlisted candidates by each of the judges, the winners will be decided by a vote. The Women SME Leaders Awards 2022 judging committee consists of:
- Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard
- Mona Zulficar, Chairperson of EFG Hermes Holding
- Nejoud Al Mulaik, Director of Fintech Saudi and
- Tamara Pupic, Managing Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East
The awards stemmed out of the inaugural Mastercard SME Confidence Index conducted last year which revealed that 81 percent of women entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa have a digital presence for their businesses, compared to 68 percent of their male counterparts. In terms of the digital footprint of these women entrepreneurs, social media (71 percent) leads the way, followed by a company website (57 percent).
These findings were aligned with Mastercard’s global commitment to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.
