The Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority said, following a meeting between its chair and a UN Women delegation, that the two sides had agreed a package of joint programmes and events to support women’s economic empowerment and widen use of non-bank financial services among low-income women and beneficiaries of microfinance programmes. The planned cooperation will focus on financial literacy, capacity building and cyber security awareness alongside higher use of financial technology, particularly among women in more underserved areas. The agreed activities include workshops, training programmes, seminars and specialised discussion sessions aimed at improving women’s awareness of and access to non-bank financial services, supporting their inclusion in the formal economy and reducing exposure to data theft and cyber attacks. Discussions also covered expanding women’s use of microinsurance, micro leasing and microfinance, including through awareness events and training in Upper Egypt and the Delta. The chair used the meeting to outline the authority’s broader framework, saying 1.9 million women received about EGP 36 billion in financing for medium, small and micro enterprises in 2025, representing 53% of all beneficiaries. He also pointed to the authority’s simplified rules for microfinance and microinsurance and to governance requirements for non-bank financial institutions to have at least two women on their boards or female representation of 25%, together with a non-discrimination policy that offers incentives to compliant institutions.
Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority 2026-05-03
Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority agrees joint programmes with UN Women and says 1.9 million women received EGP 36 billion in 2025 financing
The Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority agreed with UN Women on joint programmes and events to support women’s economic empowerment and expand non-bank financial services for low-income women and microfinance beneficiaries, focusing on financial literacy, capacity building, cyber security awareness and financial technology. Activities include workshops, training and seminars to improve access to microinsurance, micro leasing and microfinance, particularly in underserved regions, building on an existing framework under which 1.9 million women received about EGP 36 billion in enterprise financing and non-bank financial institutions are subject to gender-related governance and non-discrimination requirements.