UAE has always been at the forefront of women’s empowerment, encouraging and facilitating environments for women to thrive in regardless of their sector.

Badiri Education & Development Academy (Badiri) are dedicated to acting as a catalyst for such monumental change. As the education and capacity building arm of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA), they’ve come up with an *incredible* opportunity for female entrepreneurs in the UAE.

Under the patronage of HH Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of NAMA, the Badiri Entrepreneurship Programme 2021 is going to send shockwaves through the private sector as they gear their efforts in full-force towards empowering women in leadership positions and entrepreneurship.

That being said, ladies, have you ever had a ~genius~ idea and then not known where to go from there? Maybe you’ve ended up just burying it at the back of your head or perhaps you’ve even forgotten about its existence.

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Well, either way – Badiri have got the perfect fix to help you bring your ideas to life. With their programme, not only are they hoping to turn your ideas into reality, but in doing so, their plan is to help women develop and refine their skill set in order to become independent entrepreneurs.

The 7-month programme will begin in May and aims to boost economic opportunities for women in the UAE. With a hands-on approach to experiential learning, Badiri’s new programme is going to change the trajectory of female entrepreneurship as we know it. And definitely for the better!

The programme has been designed in collaboration with the UAE’s Ministry of Economy, local and international academic institutions, and specialised local entities to curate the most apt, forward-thinking and resourceful programme possible.

What’s more, is that entrepreneurs will receive four to five hours of one-on-one mentoring, study from six learning modules, attend seven workshops and travel on-site to projects – all in efforts to give them a holistic training. Once entrepreneurs have passed out of the programme, they will still receive support in the form of the Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC), who will help them set up shop! Talk about women empowerment, am I right?

Who’s eligible?

 Now to answer the million-dollar question, who’s eligible to participate? Well, here’s the criteria:

  • Be over 21 years old.
  • Be a female UAE citizen or resident (First-degree Male relatives are allowed to register).
  • Have a business idea.
  • Commit to the full programme by attending lessons remotely via the Zoom video conferencing platform, and be available for in-person project visits.
  • Hold a secondary and/or higher education certificate.
  • Have a good command of English, both written and spoken.

And that’s it! If you fit the criteria, head to the Badiri website to fill out the application and include your business idea alongside a full brief.

Badiri will be holding virtual interviews with selected candidates after reviewing all the applications. Some important dates to remember:

  • Registration is open from March 24 – April 24, 2021.
  • The programme commences on May 14. 

Here’s to ladies *shattering* glass ceilings everywhere. Good luck!