Women's Entrepreneurship Day: Empowering Women in Tunisia
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tunis (CCIT) organized an event on November 19, 2025, to celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day, in partnership with the WomenVai NGO, the National Chamber of Women Business Leaders (CNFCE), and the Women in Engineering (WIE) commission. The event aimed to promote women's entrepreneurship and innovation, with a focus on sustainable development and digitalization.
Celebrating Women's Entrepreneurship
Dalenda Mekki, Deputy Director of the CCIT, emphasized the importance of supporting women's entrepreneurship, stating that "it's a space where women project themselves, and for 20 years, the CCIT has carried their voice, accompanied them, and made a permanent plea for women's entrepreneurship as a force of proposal and partnership at the local, regional, and international levels."
Leila Belkhiria Jaber, President of the CNFCE, highlighted the significance of Women's Entrepreneurship Day, which is celebrated in over 150 countries, saying that "it puts the spotlight on women who innovate and integrate into the national, regional, and international dynamics. To go further, we must lift the obstacles that stand before them."
Supporting Women Entrepreneurs
Ramla Chemli, Treasurer of the CCIT, promised that women entrepreneurs will remain at the center of the CCIT's interests, citing Bourguiba's statement that women are the pride of his work. Yvette Ramos, President of WomenVai, regretted that 90% of businesses are in the hands of men and that women still have a long way to go to gain ground.
Lidia Zakowska, President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, highlighted the positive energy of women and their exponential successes over the past 30 years since the introduction of the concept of gender.
Strategic Support for Women Entrepreneurs
Wejdane Ben Ayed, representative of the Minister of Family, Women, Children, and the Elderly, announced that the minister has led a strategic effort in 2025 to support women entrepreneurs and rural women by 2030. The "Râîdêt" program, with its 6,000 projects across all sectors, will continue to support women's access to value chains and dynamize regional development.
Partnerships and Collaborations
The event was an opportunity to formalize partnerships and sign a bilateral partnership agreement between the CCIT and CNFCE, as well as a tripartite agreement between the CCIT, CNFCE, and WomenVai. The plenary session on women's entrepreneurship in Tunisia discussed the main drivers of growth and challenges in the era of digitalization and AI.
Anis Zahraz, an international expert in women's entrepreneurship and gender equality, emphasized the need to train women in AI to avoid their disadvantage in the field of entrepreneurship in the coming years.
Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development
The first session, "Women Entrepreneurs & AI for Sustainable Transition – Green Innovations, Smart Agriculture, Impact Technologies, and Climate Adaptation," featured presentations by Sahar Mechri, ED of Managers, on her commitment to high-impact women's entrepreneurship through the Women Entrepreneurs of Tunisia program and the African ESG Summit.
Asma Brini explored the role of responsible AI and digital solutions in transforming territories and highlighted concrete levers for inclusive and impactful innovation. Betty Azzarelli-Bonnardel, CEO of Farmer Charlie UK, presented her approach to smart agriculture as a lever for sustainable innovation, serving food security, climate adaptation, and women's empowerment.
Zaida Sammoud, CEO of Hiba Consulting Tunisie, highlighted the role of women in the digital and sustainable transformation of local economies. Houaida Gharbi, CEO of Uptitude and President of the WETIC consortium, shared her experience in structuring the first Tunisian consortium of women in ICT (WETIC) and its role in promoting collaborative innovation in Tunisia and Africa.
Success Stories and Future Actions
The second session showcased success stories of women's entrepreneurship in Tunisia, while the third session presented a participatory workshop on the needs, levers, and bridges to (re)build for women entrepreneurs in a context of transformation.
The expected outcomes of the day include increased visibility for Tunisian women entrepreneurs committed to a sustainable economy, strengthened connections between local and international networks, a toolbox of concrete ideas and recommendations to strengthen the women's ecosystem, and a common roadmap for future actions (training, collaborations, mentorship).
