Startups Without Borders & UNFPA Launch Mentorship Programme

Looking to foster gender equality across the MENA region, Startups Without Borders - a global platform renowned for hosting international events with a focus on diversity - has joined forces with the United Nations Population Fund Arab States Regional Office (UNFPA ASRO) to launch the GenF Mentorship Programme.

Established in 2018 in Cairo, Startups Without Borders has emerged as a catalyst for change, with teams from Egypt, Palestine and Italy. With a track record of training over 6,800 entrepreneurs across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, the platform has cultivated a robust community of 15,000 entrepreneurs and over 600 international mentors and trainers.

Their upcoming venture, GenF, is a three-month programme designed to equip women entrepreneurs with targeted guidance through online group sessions and personalised mentoring. The joint initiative strives to provide support and guidance to female founders and entrepreneurs who are contributing to reproductive health, gender equality, and women's and girls' empowerment.

“At Startups Without Borders, we have been passionately working to increase diversity in the entrepreneurial realm,” Valentina Primo, founder and CEO of Startups Without Borders, tells StartupScene. “We are thrilled to partner with UNFPA in this promising programme to provide ambitious women with the tools and mindset to drive real change. Issues such as gender violence pose enormous challenges in the Arab region, and it is our strong belief that the best way to tackle them is to harness and support solutions created for and by women.”

Participants gain access to profound insights from esteemed global figures in sexual and reproductive health, as well as gender equality. They also have the opportunity to integrate into a thriving community of driven female entrepreneurs, forging a robust framework of mutual aid. The initiative also provides participants with the tools to confront pressing social issues head-on, encompassing matters such as gender-based violence and menstrual hygiene.

“Women are already contributing to the efforts to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled,” Laila Baker, UNFPA Arab States Regional Director, adds. “GenF is an innovative approach to reaching these goals. We are proud to partner with Startups Without Borders, a woman-led organisation, as we support other community heroes throughout the region to grow their impact.”   The GenF Mentorship Programme will begin on September 1st. Female founders across the Arab region are invited to submit their applications before August 20th.