Sana Afouaiz

Sana Afouaiz is a multi-award-winning gender expert, women’s rights advocate, and renowned international public speaker. She is the founder and CEO of Womenpreneur Initiative, and the author of Invisible Women of the Middle East. Sana has spoken in over 50 countries at global institutions, international forums, and prestigious universities, advocating for gender equality and systemic change.

In 2016, she founded Womenpreneur Initiative to empower women in technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation across Europe and the MENA region. Under her leadership, Womenpreneur has trained more than 25,000 women, and launched Belgium’s first tech training center exclusively for women, focused on equipping them with the skills to enter and thrive in the tech industry.

Sana’s influence and leadership have been widely recognized. She was awarded the Amnesty International Award 2025 for her impactful work in advancing women’s rights. She has been named:

– Influential Woman by the World Bank,
– One of the Most Influential Women in the European Startup Ecosystem– three times,
– Revelation of the Year by prestigious Lobby Award in Belgium
– Influential leader by Crans Montana
– Inspiring Entrepreneur of the Year by the Adecco Group,
– Recipient of the Ashoka Changemaker Award,
– Top 100 Most Inspiring Social Innovators Worldwide by Social Enablers,
– Top 5 Most Inspiring and Talented Women by Moustacho,
– Influential Female Entrepreneur by Knowing Arabia and Watching Arabia.

Her work has been featured in global media such as BBC, Forbes, TV5Monde, L’Echo, De Tijd, El País, RTBF, LeSoir, LN24, Al Mamlaka TV, and The Huffington Post.

Over the past decade, Sana has advised corporates and major institutions including the United Nations and the European Commission, and contributed to key policy frameworks related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has helped draft international gender resolutions and delivered recommendations in New York, Paris, Geneva, and Bali.