Tunis/Tunisia — The Ministry of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly on Thursday started the distribution of 1,050 funding agreements for women's projects in 22 governorates of the Republic, as part of the national programme for the promotion of women's entrepreneurship RAÏDET.

The approved projects are divided into 942 micro-projects and 108 small and medium-sized projects, with total funds exceeding TND 9.7 million.

38% of the approved projects will be carried out in the industry sector, 26% in the small trades sector, 20% in the services sector, 9% in the crafts sector, 3.5% in the agricultural sector and 3.5% in the trade sector.

39% of the projects will be undertaken by women aged between 31 and 40. 27.5% will be undertaken by women aged between 18 and 30, 23.5% by women aged between 41 and 50, 10% by women aged between 51 and 59.

The RAÏDET programme aims to empower women in development and the economy and to encourage women and girls to launch their own projects by granting them preferential benefits and a funding ceiling of TND 300,000.

About TND 50 million were provided for funding this programme over a 5-year period, at a rate of TND 10 million per year and a 40% increase in annual funds from 2023 onwards.

RAÏDET is implemented by the Ministry of the Family, Women, Children and the Elderly through partnership agreements with three partner banking institutions, namely the Tunisian Solidarity Bank, the Bank for the Financing of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises and the National Agricultural Bank.