The Embassy of the United States in the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi Global Market, the award-winning International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, announced the results of a co-authored white paper entitled, “Gender Equality and Entrepreneurship,” examining the key challenges facing entrepreneurs within the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, while suggesting possible further actions. The purpose of the White Paper is to serve as a tool to drive effective change in addressing the key challenges and maximizing the existing opportunities in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to favor gender equality.
In November 2019, the Embassy and ADGM brought together over 50 entrepreneurs, investors, government, corporations, not-for-profit organizations and accelerators to discuss improving the operating environment for small businesses. Discussion focused on access to capital, markets and talent in entrepreneurship, and highlighted how improved coordination of existing initiatives could further advance gender equality in entrepreneurship.
The resulting white paper details these three themes of access to capital, markets and talent, and suggests actions to address related issues identified. Namely, the information gap, structural issues affecting gender equality in entrepreneurship, and prevailing unconscious gender bias.
Both organizations are united in their call for the formation of a working group made up of private and public institutions, both local and international, to serve as a platform for cooperation, aimed at driving effective change in addressing the challenges identified.
The full White Paper is available here: