The Women4Mediterranean conference is a major regional platform to discuss, exchange experiences and promote women’s participation in the public, economic and civil life for bringing solutions to regional challenges. The Conference focuses on women’s roles as change makers and leaders in the region and explores how women and men can overcome cultural and social barriers for drive forward the Euro-Mediterranean action agenda for women’s empowerment and the achievement of the SDGs. For almost 5 years, the conferences have been a catalyst for policy advocacy, regional initiatives and projects, new ideas, collaborations and partnerships. Participants are the stakeholders and leaders from the Euro-Mediterranean region – governments, parliaments, private sector, international organizations, academia, media, civil society, young women and men – to strengthen regional cooperation and identify best ways to drive positive change toward gender equality and women’s empowerment.

UNDP will organize a side event on Behavioral Insights for Women’s Economic Empowerment. During the half-day side event, UNDP will facilitate an opening discussion of behavioral insights (BI) followed by a hands-on immersion into how BI can be used to address the challenges to women’s economic empowerment in the Arab region and to create a path to success for young women entrepreneurs.  Special guests will include several young women entrepreneurs from the Youth Leadership Programme (YLP). The event will be facilitated by various innovation for development experts from UNDP and BIT.