Khalifa Fund and Facebook relaunch female entrepreneurs training programme

The She Means Business initiative is being relaunched with revised content and mode of delivery

Mouza Al Nasri, acting chief executive of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, said the new training programme will fast track the business journey of female entrepreneurs. Courtesy KFED

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, a government agency to support small and medium-sized businesses, and Facebook relaunched a mentoring programme for female entrepreneurs.

The She Means Business, that was first announced in February, will train 1,300 Emirati women entrepreneurs and will be relaunched online.

The participants will be trained in areas including marketing, social media and e-commerce, the fund said in a statement on Wednesday.

This is a great opportunity for female entrepreneurs to “access a wide range of essential information, improve their skills and network with like-minded women”, Mouza Al Nasri, acting chief executive of the KFED, said.

“It will fast-track and advance their understanding of how to optimise social media in order to generate effective results in their business,” she added.

KFED, which financially supports Emirati entrepreneurs, said it is revising the content and mode of delivery.

The new curriculum includes two tracks – the Beginner’s Track for individuals who are set to embark on their entrepreneurial journey and the Advanced Track that will train current SME owners and support them to stay informed and connected with their customers.

The KFED supports Emirati entrepreneurs by helping them with exemptions and offers priority in government procurement processes.

The fund also supports its beneficiaries with access to consultation services and advanced training programmes to help sharpen their business skills.

“We designed new learning experiences … that will make virtual learning and upskilling easier for women entrepreneurs to support them as they embark on their journey as business leaders,” said Derya Matras, regional director for Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Facebook.

In 2017, Facebook launched a campaign called #SheMeansBusiness that aimed to inspire women entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa, with ambitions to train 10,000 women in a year.