Women business leaders from the United States, Bahrain, Morocco, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Uzbekistan, and Kosovo convened for the virtual launch of the Network, hosted by US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues Kelley Currie, Special Envoy for Economic Normalization Aryeh Lightstone, and US International Development Finance Corporation Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Global Women’s Issues Charity Wallace.

The launch of the Network follows that signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020. The signatory parties have worked to "establish across the region a warm peace, inclusive of all, and to develop new cross-country economic partnerships," according to a statement from the US State department.

"In pursuit of those goals, the advancement of women’s economic empowerment has come to occupy a role of central importance," it added.

"The United Women’s Economic Development Network will provide a platform for building ties and trust among women in each country, deepening the greater regional cooperation promised by the Abraham Accords." 

The Network will also advance women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, a major facet of U.S. foreign policy, in line with the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, according to the same source.

Welcoming the group of approximately 40 women to the event, Lightstone noted that "in business you look for trends, and trends on women’s economic empowerment are positive."

Abraham Accords countries are ascendant and female entrepreneurship in those countries has "unlimited potential," he stated.

Lightstone also noted that the launch of the Network builds on the announcement last week of the DFC’s W-GDP 2X MENA initiative, launched in Morocco by Ambassador Currie and DFC SVP Wallace.

The initiative is expected to mobilize $1 billion in investments in projects that will advance women's economic empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).