Egyptian women have been entrepreneurs since way before entrepreneurship became a thing.
Women have been business patrons since their introduction to the workforce in the 1960s, with the 1990s’ Economic Reform along with the Structural Adjustment Program, more women were encouraged and supported in their respective fields. Women were mostly present within micro and small enterprises and were even funded and supported by the state. Since the entrepreneurial trend started, more and more women started their own projects.
Later on, in 2003, with the emergence of entrepreneurial markets, women made up around 10% of the movement. This was due to the oftentimes harsh market environments, and unacceptable standards that have been set for men, who came into the market before them.
Women are oftentimes considered a liability by employers, due to them being deemed “unstable employees” because they can leave at any moment, because of pregnancies or marriage. However, with the newer generations, came more acceptance for females in the workforce.
Here are 5 women who broke that standard.
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Zijoux by Zeinab Abdelrazek
Photo via: Zijoux on Instagram
Zeinab Abdelrazek is a 21-year-old business administration student at the American University in Cairo. Zeinab is an artist at heart and loves making jewelry. It is also noteworthy that Zeinab is the youngest person on this list, which makes her story more impressive.
Inspired by motifs around her, Zeinab started her own jewelry brand on Instagram in 2018, and the brand has done nothing but grow ever since. It has gained its own market and audience and continues to strive!
Zeinab believes that the entrepreneurial scene in Egypt is full of opportunities for everyone, the trick is to differentiate yourself from others with the brand or service you’re providing. That’s how you shine!
She faced many challenges going into the scene, ” the challenge is clear “female” and “too young”.. on a regular basis I’m underestimated because of my gender and age, until I respond with my work ethic and effort. I don’t think this challenge is going anywhere but I believe with more female entrepreneurs in the scene, hopefully the stigma will change” Zeinab stated.
“Trust the process and celebrate small milestones, being an entrepreneur requires having a crisp vision of what could be achieved which takes time and patience.” she added.
2. The Four Fat Ladies
Photo Via: Egypt Today
Everyone knows them by their delicious treats and baked goods. The Four fat ladies trademark was founded in 2012 by three sisters: Nira Shunbo, Sherine Shunbo, and Heba Shunbo.
One could wonder why name the place the “four” fat ladies when they were only three, well, they included their mom when naming the shop.
The three women came from very different backgrounds, PR, interior design, and architecture. They however all chose to shift careers.
They started with cheesecake, their mother’s recipe, and then, well, then they became who they are today.
3. Diwan Bookstore
Photo via: Cairo Bookstop
Bets are that you’ve been there before, Diwan is one of the top bookstores in Cairo. With a beautiful main branch in Zamalek, everyone knows who they are.
Diwan was founded IN 2002 by sisters Hind and Nadia Wassef, along with a team of other people. The group aspired to bring together Western and Eastern cultures and spread Arab culture via their boutique bookstore.
The two sisters aren’t just entrepreneurs, they also paved the way for new bookstores to open and provide readers with a comfortable place to both read and browse for books.
4.The Dirty Cookie
Photo Via: Orange County Register
The Dirty Cookie was founded by Shahira Marei, while on maternity leave from her project manager job at Boeing.
Marei has always had a sweet tooth and a belief that the best way to help people, is to give them jobs and that’s how The Dirty Cookie was born.
The Dirty Cookie has been around since 2015, and just opened in Egypt recently.
5. Rescue App
Photo Via: The startup scene
The Rescue app was created by Shadw Helal to tackle one of Egypt’s most persistent issues, sexual harassment.
She created the app at the age of 21 while studying medicine. She won many competitions including the Orange Startup Cup and the IEEE app development competition in Egypt.
A beta version of the app was launched and many people volunteered to monitor calls for help.
This app was launched in 2017 and has made a lot of women’s lives easier since.
