The Rabeha Program advanced women’s economic empowerment in Egypt by building the capacity of both government institutions and women entrepreneurs across six governorates.
Innovety supported UNIDO and partners by training 47 government officials, strengthening their ability to design innovation-driven, results-oriented programs, reflecting our expertise in Socioeconomic Development Strategy services.
In parallel, we trained 604 women, guided them to develop 600 business plans, and helped 100 women-led companies build brands, e-commerce presence, and marketing strategies—laying foundations for more inclusive and sustainable growth.
The Rabeha (“female winner” in Arabic) program originated from a Canadian Embassy fund, later taken forward by UNDP, UN Women, and UNIDO as a joint initiative to advance women’s economic empowerment in Egypt.
UNIDO, as Innovety’s client, sought to translate this opportunity into practical interventions that could both strengthen institutional capacity and directly support women-led businesses in priority value chains—palm dates, medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), handicrafts, and ICT.
Yet the starting point was challenging. Government institutions in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Minya, and Beheira faced gaps in program design, monitoring, and outreach, limiting their ability to deliver impactful services for women entrepreneurs.
At the same time, women-led enterprises often lacked visibility, strong branding, and access to sustainable markets—leaving many businesses stuck at subsistence levels.
Key pain points:
Diagnosing institutional gaps
Innovety began by conducting a comprehensive needs assessment across five government entities in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Minya, and Beheira.
This revealed gaps in entrepreneurship knowledge, innovation integration, monitoring and evaluation, digital outreach, and donor engagement—all of which limited the effectiveness of their women’s programs.
Building public sector skills
Based on these insights, Innovety designed and delivered targeted training for 47 government officials.
The program covered entrepreneurship and innovation trends, mission-driven program design, M&E frameworks, digital communication, and partner relationship management.
Institutional teams then applied their learning by preparing and pitching new program concepts for potential UNIDO funding.
Equipping women entrepreneurs
In parallel, Innovety rolled out a five-day, five-module training program for 604 women across four governorates.
Each participant developed or upgraded a business plan—integrating sustainability, operations, marketing, and sales strategies.
This practical, step-by-step approach ensured women left the program with tangible tools to start or expand their businesses.
Strengthening market visibility
Innovety directly enhanced the visibility and competitiveness of 100 women-led companies.
We created professional brands by designing logos, photographing products, and developing packaging that reflected market standards.
Each business was supported to establish an online presence—from setting up e-commerce storefronts and marketplace listings to using digital platforms for sales.
To complement online channels, we strengthened offline marketing capacity by preparing women to showcase their products at trade fairs and connect with distributors.
Innovety developed a tailored booklet on how to prepare for and succeed at exhibitions, ensuring participants could maximize exposure and sales opportunities.
In parallel, we worked with companies to develop market strategies, enabling them to position their products more effectively and build sustainable customer pipelines.
Creating a sustainable support ecosystem
Together, these interventions built a stronger ecosystem: government entities gained the skills to design more effective programs, and women entrepreneurs acquired the tools, identity, and access they needed to grow, compete, and connect with markets.
Women in Upper Egypt face many barriers to starting and growing their businesses. Through UNIDO’s Rabeha program, Innovety delivered training to over 600 women in Fayoum, Minya, Beni Suef, and Giza, guiding them to develop 600 business plans — from new ventures to upgraded enterprises. Nearly 70% integrated sustainability practices into their plans, and knowledge scores rose significantly after the training. With 99% of participants satisfied, Innovety proved to be a trusted partner in building lasting pathways for women’s economic empowerment.
