let’s all consider how $0.6 trillion can be added to the GDP of MENA countries and $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025 if gender equality is accelerated.
ABOUT MENAGEN
The Middle East and North Africa Gender and Enterprise Network (MENAGEN) focuses on supporting and enhancing gender and entrepreneurship scholarship in the Arab world. In an environment of momentous change, both in the Arab world and globally, the need to consider gender and entrepreneurship research through engaged scholarship and collaboration in the MENA region are more essential than ever before. The Middle East and North Africa Gender and Enterprise Network (MENAGEN) is an affiliate of the UK Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) Gender and Enterprise Network Special Interest Group (GEN).
Our mission
Our mission is to advance gender and entrepreneurship scholarship in the Arab world through engaged scholarship, research collaboration, and mentorship. By fostering a supportive environment for early and mid-career researchers, MENAGEN aims to enhance publication skills and promote the production of high-quality research relevant to the MENA region. Through initiatives such as the Mentoring for Publication Program (MPP) and the annual webinar series, MENAGEN seeks to create a vibrant community of scholars committed to addressing gender-related challenges and opportunities in entrepreneurship, ultimately contributing to social and economic development in the Arab world.
Our Vision
Our Vision is to create a collaborative and inclusive research community dedicated to advancing gender and entrepreneurship studies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We aspire to be a regional hub where researchers converge to explore and analyze the intersection of gender and entrepreneurship in the MENA context.
By fostering cross-cultural dialogue, knowledge exchange, and research collaborations, we aim to enrich the gender and entrepreneurship literature with diverse perspectives and insights from the MENA region. We envision a future where researchers, regardless of their geographic location, are empowered to contribute meaningfully to the understanding and advancement of gender equality, economic empowerment, and sustainable development in the MENA region through their scholarly work.
Through our inclusive approach, we seek to break down barriers, promote diversity, and drive excellence in gender and entrepreneurship research, ultimately creating positive social impact and fostering inclusive economic growth in the MENA region and beyond.
the Team
Former Team Members
Enhancing Gender and
Entrepreneurship Research
in the Arab World
Enhancing Gender and
Entrepreneurship Research
in the Arab World
Sponsors
The Babson Global Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (BGCEL) was established with a mission to promote a sustainable entrepreneurial leadership culture and ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region. To advance its mission, BGCEL facilitates entrepreneurship research, education and outreach initiatives serving the business, education and public sectors. In addition, BGCEL supports experiential learning opportunities for MBSC students.
The Gender and Enterprise Network (GEN) is a Special Interest Group of the UK Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE). Since its creation in 2010, GEN promotes scholarly research and knowledge exchange on the relationships between entrepreneurship and gender, with the aim of enabling the development of gender‐aware entrepreneurship research, policy and practice globally. At present, GEN has 900 international members.
Dr Hayfaa A. Tlaiss is a Professor of Management at ADA University, Baku, Azerbaijan. She was named to “Stanford University’s World Top 2% Scientists’ List” for research impact and was a recipient of “Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Global Prize for Sport Research” from Ministry of Sport, Saudi Arabia. Her scholarly work has been published in Financial Times Top 50 journals and other top-tier journals including Human Relations, Journal of Business Ethics, International Small Business Management, Journal of Small Business Management, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, International Journal of Human Resources Management, and Human Resource Management Journal. In addition to a BBA and an MBA, Dr. Tlaiss has a PhD from Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, UK and a Diploma of University Teaching from University of New Brunswick, Canada.
Hebah received her bachelor’s degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology. As a result of her 11 year career focusing upon public relations within the education sector, she developed outstanding skills in management, communication, networking, and public speaking in both Arabic and English. She earned her MBA in 2019 from the Mohammad Bin Salman College for Business and Entrepreneurship (MBSC) in Saudi Arabia, and is launching her entrepreneurial venture which she initiated during her MBA studies. She is currently the Executive MBA Manager at Mohammed Bin Salman College since October, 2021.
Aliaa is an international development professional with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Cairo University and over three years of experience in project coordination, research, and strategic communication across the MENA region, the United States, and Europe. She is an alumna of the U.S. Department of State’s Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Fellowship and has has gained experience at Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) in Boston, the Professional Forum of Education in Sofia, and the Life Makers Foundation (LMF) in Egypt. Passionate about advocating for women’s empowerment and marginalized communities, Aliaa brings expertise in project management, non‑formal education, and partnership development to her role at MENAGEN, where she supports gender and entrepreneurship research and fosters collaborations that bridge research, policy, and community action.