Rania Tfaily

Jordanian social entrepreneur empowering women through education and enterprise

Rania Tfaily (born 1972) is a Jordanian social entrepreneur whose organizations have transformed opportunities for marginalized women across the Middle East. Founding the Na'asefna Initiative in 2001, she created vocational training programs that have empowered over 15,000 women to start their own businesses. Her 2005 establishment of the Royal Jordanian Academy provided technical education in male-dominated fields like engineering and IT. Tfaily's 2008 book Breaking Barriers: Women in Jordan's Economy documented systemic challenges and proposed policy reforms. She pioneered mobile banking services for rural women in 2010 through her fintech startup Zay Initiative, which processed $20M in microloans by 2020. Tfaily's work influenced Jordan's 2016 Gender Equality Law, increasing women's workforce participation by 25%. She currently leads the Middle East Women's Economic Forum, hosting annual conferences attended by 500+ delegates from 20+ countries. Tfaily's TEDx talk 'Empowering Women, Strengthening Nations' has over 1M views. Her initiatives now operate in Yemen, Lebanon, and Palestine, adapting culturally sensitive approaches to gender equity.