DIFC FinTech Hive, a fintech accelerator that is in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region, recently announced the launch of AccelerateHer, a mentorship programme which equips budding female professionals with necessary tools and experience to play a more active role in the development of the region’s fintech landscape.
According to the accelerator, this mentorship program will run from April to November 2019. AccelerateHer will connect young aspiring executives to accomplished professionals with relevant expertise from across DIFC FinTech Hive’s strategic partnership network, which reportedly includes some of the world’s leading financial organizations. While sharing more details about the program, Raja Al Mazrouei, Executive Vice President of DIFC FinTech Hive, stated:
“Research shows that women remain significantly underrepresented in the upper levels of financial services, so we are very excited to launch today’s initiative under the FinTech Hive umbrella. DIFC’s fintech accelerator plays a crucial role in our efforts to shape the future of the regional financial landscape. I’m confident that AccelerateHer will complement these efforts by exposing the young female talent of the UAE to a diverse range of experiences that allow them to play a more influential role in the future of the industry.”
The first edition of AccelerateHer was formally launched last week. The launch event notably saw 12 mentorship pairings established between mentees and mentors from Arab Bank, AXA Insurance, CIGNA, Emirates Islamic, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Insurance House, Noor Bank, Noor Takaful, Standard Chartered, VISA, and Zurich. The accelerator added:
“AccelerateHer complements the established FinTech ecosystem in DIFC that includes an enabling infrastructure, fit-for-purpose-regulation, subsidised licensing and most importantly, access to some of the world’s pioneering financial institutions.”