Sharjah Business Women Council expands women's empowerment partnerships
Sharjah Decembe, r 25
The Sharjah Business Women Council marked 2025 as a year of greater scale and deeper impact, reinforcing its role as an integrated entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports women entrepreneurs from early-stage ideation through to global market access.
Commenting on the Council's achievements, Maryam Bin Al Shaikh, Director of SBWC, said the year marked a strategic shift towards building sustainable and scalable value for women-led businesses. She highlighted that the Council's work aligns with international indicators on women's empowerment in the UAE, including the World Bank's data showing women's workforce participation at 54.1 per cent in 2024 and the UAE's full score in the Women, Business and the Law 2024 report.
From local dialogue to global reach
SBWC began the year by engaging members through consultation sessions in Sharjah and Kalba, shaping programmes to meet entrepreneurs' needs. The Council strengthened its entrepreneurial platforms through participation in the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, the launch of the NMU Initiative to support women-led brands, and the Business Readiness Bootcamp, which focused on legal, financial, and marketing skills.
Global exposure and sectoral expansion
The Council supported members' participation in major exhibitions, including the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show and Expand North Star, and enabled women entrepreneurs to access international supply chains through a Sharjah trade mission to China. SBWC also contributed to the national dialogue on social entrepreneurship and the circular economy through specialised forums.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great initiative. The trade mission to China is a smart move for global exposure. In India, while we have many schemes for women entrepreneurs, the handholding for international supply chain integration is often missing. Other councils should take note.
The Business Readiness Bootcamp covering legal and financial skills is crucial. So many women-led startups in India struggle with these formalities. It's not just about funding, but building capacity. More power to such councils!
While the achievements are commendable, I hope the impact reaches beyond just the urban centers like Sharjah and Kalba. In many developing nations, rural women entrepreneurs face vastly different challenges. The model needs to be adaptable.
Integrating forums on social entrepreneurship and circular economy is forward-thinking. In India, there's a growing movement of women-led sustainable businesses. Collaboration between such international councils could create amazing synergies.
As a small business owner myself, the NMU Initiative to support women-led brands sounds fantastic. Brand building is half the battle. Wishing all the members the very best! Hope to see similar success stories from India soon. 💼✨
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