startAD signs MoU with AIWF to help Emirati Women

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 5 November 2024

Recently, startAD has signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF). Considering startAD, it was founded in 2016 and is a startup accelerator, catering in Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals industry, being powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD).

Moreover, AIWF was founded in 2001 and is an NGO with its headquarters in London. It specialises in Education, Women in Public Life, Women's Entrepreneurship, Arab Youth Empowerment, Arab Women in Law & The Judiciary, Arab Women's Leadership along with couple of other specialisations. The signed MoU between the two organisations will get executed through a series of international and UAE-based events that includes conferences, summits, and networking gatherings.

“This collaboration is rooted in our joint belief with AIWF that access to education, mentorship, and leadership opportunities equips women and young leaders with the necessary skills to drive effective change in their communities and beyond. Creating a pipeline of future role models requires practical steps to creating networking opportunities that can significantly reduce the barriers women face. Women are less likely to know an entrepreneur, which limits their access to contracts and opportunities. We can mitigate these challenges by fostering networks and creating processes that accelerate women's participation,” said startAD Associate Director Nihal Shaikh.