Bank of Palestine Celebrates Graduation of 28 Businesswomen within the "Palestinian" Business Management Program and Announces Launch of the Ninth Cohort, Confirming Commitment to Strengthening Women's Entrepreneurship

SadaNews Economy - The Bank of Palestine celebrated today, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the graduation of 28 businesswomen from the participants of the seventh and eighth cohorts of the "Palestinian" Mini-MBA Program for Business Management, which is implemented by the bank in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Ernst & Young, the Businesswomen Forum, and the Global Communities Foundation under the program to support competitiveness and growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Palestine, funded by the Swedish government. This event marks a new milestone reflecting the program's success in building a generation of women leaders capable of developing their projects and enhancing their presence in the Palestinian economy.

The "Palestinian" program, which includes the Palestinian Mini-MBA for Business Management, is one of the most prominent national initiatives specialized in empowering women economically. Since its launch, it has been continuously providing business owners and entrepreneurs with modern management, leadership, and financial knowledge and skills, enabling them to develop their projects, enhance their competitiveness, and open broader horizons for growth and sustainability.

This graduation aligns with the Bank of Palestine’s vision of investing in Palestinian women's capabilities and reinforcing the role of women as active partners in economic and social development by providing learning, development, and networking opportunities, as well as enhancing access for women entrepreneurs to the tools and knowledge that allow them to transform their ideas and ambitions into feasible and successful projects.

The ceremony was organized at the Bank of Palestine's headquarters in Ramallah, attended by Mona Khalili, Minister of Women's Affairs, Dr. Inas Al-Attari, Minister of Labor, Mohammad Manasra, Deputy Governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority, Mahmoud Al-Shawa, General Manager of the Bank of Palestine, along with several official, economic figures, and representatives from governmental, non-governmental, international institutions, the private sector, financial and banking institutions, and local and international media.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Mahmoud Al-Shawa, General Manager of the Bank of Palestine, welcomed the attendees and graduates of the program, emphasizing that the Palestinian Mini-MBA for Business Management is part of the bank’s vision to build an integrated system for entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic empowerment, moving beyond traditional financing concepts towards investing in Palestinian energies and enabling growth and sustainability. He stated that the bank has worked to provide a supportive environment for entrepreneurs through launching quality initiatives, including the "Intersect" business incubator and Innovation Fund, aimed at nurturing entrepreneurial ideas, enhancing development and networking opportunities, investment, and supporting promising projects at various growth stages, contributing to building a stronger, more inclusive, and sustainable economy.

Al-Shawa added that "Palestinian" has represented a pioneering national model for empowering Palestinian women economically for a decade, successfully equipping business owners and entrepreneurs with the managerial, leadership, and financial knowledge and skills needed to develop their projects and enhance their competitiveness and sustainability. He pointed out that the program has graduated over 200 businesswomen through eight cohorts and has reached more than 25,000 Palestinian women through its educational and awareness programs, noting that the real value of the program lies not only in the numbers but in the success stories it has created and in the contributions of its graduates to job creation, enhancing economic activity, and transforming ideas and ambitions into successful and impactful projects within the Palestinian community.

For her part, Mona Khalili, Minister of Women's Affairs, congratulated the graduates of the seventh and eighth cohorts, emphasizing that investing in women's capabilities and enhancing their economic opportunities represent an investment in the future of the entire Palestinian community. She noted that economically empowering women is one of the most important tools for enhancing their independence and developmental role, appreciating the efforts made by the Bank of Palestine and its partners in providing quality programs that open broader horizons for women for success and entrepreneurship.

In turn, Dr. Inas Al-Attari, Minister of Labor, affirmed that developing women's skills and training them to lead projects and businesses contributes to enhancing their participation in the labor market and supporting the growth of the Palestinian private sector. She explained that entrepreneurship has become one of the most important paths allowing women to create new economic opportunities for themselves and their communities, commending the results achieved by the "Palestinian" program in building successful models of businesswomen capable of competing, expanding, and sustaining their enterprises.

On his part, Mohammad Manasra, Deputy Governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority, emphasized the importance of initiatives that contribute to enhancing the economic participation of Palestinian women, noting that empowering women financially and economically constitutes one of the essential pillars for achieving sustainable development and promoting financial inclusion. He added that the "Palestinian" program represents a practical model for supporting women business owners and entrepreneurs and developing their leadership and managerial capacities, enabling them to expand their projects and enhance their sustainability. He praised the achievements of the program over the past years in preparing and qualifying women to contribute more effectively to the national economy and create job opportunities.

Moreover, George Kaptyas, representative of Global Communities, affirmed the institution's pride in its partnership with the Bank of Palestine in implementing the "Palestinian" program for business management under the program to support the competitiveness and growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Palestine, funded by the Swedish government. He stated, "We are proud to be part of this pioneering initiative, which has demonstrated its ability over the past years to create a tangible impact on the lives of Palestinian women business owners by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to develop their projects and enhance their sustainability and growth. We also appreciate the pioneering role played by the Bank of Palestine and its continuous commitment to support the economic empowerment of women, believing that these effective partnerships form a fundamental pillar for enhancing economic development and creating more inclusive and sustainable opportunities in Palestine."

In her speech on behalf of the graduates, Ms. Raghda Jamous stated that the "Palestinian" program has not just been a training program, but an inspiring journey of learning, development, and discovering potential that helped the participants enhance their self-confidence and develop their projects with a more ambitious and sustainable vision. She added that the program brought together women from various Palestinian governorates around a common goal of learning and driving change, expressing the graduates' appreciation to the Bank of Palestine and its partners for the knowledge, guidance, and opportunities provided through the program that supported their entrepreneurial journey and empowered them to move forward toward achieving more success and impact.

In an emotional speech via video conference, businesswoman Rozan Al-Khazindar, a graduate of "Palestinian" ten years ago, and Director of the "Roza" Company, narrated her project’s story that transitioned to the global stage, affirming that the will and belief in success were stronger than the difficulties faced. Her experience has become a model of the steadfastness and determination characteristic of Palestinian women. She called for continued investment in entrepreneurial women and their economic empowerment, as they represent an effective force in rebuilding society and enhancing its capacity for recovery and growth.
The ceremony included a short film featuring success stories achieved by some graduates and the accomplishments of the program.

At the end of the ceremony, certificates were handed over to the graduates of the seventh and eighth cohorts of the program, and the bank honored the partners of the Palestinian program, appreciating their efforts and contributions in enriching the training program's content to ensure that women are equipped with all the success enhancers in their professional, economic, and other fields necessary for elevating women's projects.

The "Palestinian Business Management" program is one of the quality initiatives launched by the bank to invest in the entrepreneurial capabilities of women and create a supportive environment for the growth of women's projects, aligning with sustainable development goals and enhancing the role of women as a key partner in Palestinian economic development. This is alongside the banking services program dedicated to women and financing their projects.