Women in Development and Peace – Ahmed Bajoaim
Women possess vast and diverse potential and skills across various fields, particularly in economic development. Based on this principle, empowering businesswomen by providing them with opportunities and necessary support is a crucial step towards achieving progress and prosperity at all levels, especially in economic development.
The successes achieved by Yemeni women entrepreneurs in the business sector reflect their ability to adapt to the challenges facing the country, especially in the security and economic aspects, and to create diverse innovations in various fields. These successes make them a force capable of overcoming difficulties, which confirms the importance of the role of businesswomen in supporting the local economy. This report examines the role that businesswomen play in the national economy and the efforts of the relevant authorities to empower women.
Empowerment Plans
Zahra Ishaq, Director of the Women’s Development Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Office in Hadhramaut Coast, says: “The interest in women’s issues and their empowerment is increasing day by day, to ensure their right to work and participate in public life, and to open the way for them to expand their horizons in various fields, especially in the commercial and economic field, which is one of the most important concerns that have been focused on recently to develop the national economy.”
She explained that raising women’s scientific and practical knowledge, developing their abilities, and empowering them economically is one of the country’s priorities, through the development of plans and programs that contribute to activating the activity of businesswomen in the labor market and strengthening cooperation from the relevant and competent authorities to enable women to play their expected role towards the national economy and face the collapse of the economic situation in the country.
On the other hand, Nada bin Zaidan, the head of the Women in Business Department at the Chamber of Commerce in Hadhramaut Al-Sahil, emphasizes that empowerment plans involve providing all necessary facilities for businesswomen to support and develop their projects. The interventions of the Women in Business Department at the Chamber of Commerce include continuous training and qualification for women, to develop their projects to meet local labor market requirements and enhance their role in the national economy by creating employment opportunities for unemployed women to improve their income. Additionally, the department establishes partnerships with institutes and organizations related to this field and strengthens them.
In the same context, Adeela Al-Saadi, the director of the Productive Family Centers and Community Development at the Office of Social Affairs and Labor in Hadhramaut Al-Sahil, explains that the administration contributes to empowering businesswomen to support the national economy and community development. This is achieved by providing commercial registration licenses, facilitating their issuance through the Chamber of Commerce, and organizing internal and external exhibitions and bazaars to showcase women’s activities and businesses to visitors, interested parties, and the media.
Businesswomen’s Opinions
Amal Al-Samiti, an activist in the commercial field since 2007, believes that Yemeni businesswomen have contributed to creating job opportunities for many unemployed women. They have played a significant role in supporting the national economy during various periods by increasing local production and achieving self-sufficiency in some locally manufactured products. Moreover, they have even exported these products abroad, which has improved the local economy and reduced poverty and unemployment rates. This positive impact is particularly evident among Yemeni women who possess experience in certain businesses and handicrafts. Additionally, some businesswomen continue to operate small and medium-sized companies.
Amal continues: ‘Increasing the representation of businesswomen in the private sector enhances economic progress in the country and contributes to diversifying employment opportunities. However, pioneering women in this field face significant challenges that hinder their role in supporting the national economy. Notably, these challenges include the lack of strong infrastructure that supports the development of their investment projects, the depreciation of the local currency in some provinces (resulting in substantial losses for businesswomen’s projects), and declining sales due to the deteriorating economic situation. Furthermore, the support provided by donor organizations and relevant entities for businesswomen’s projects, such as white loans and training, remains insufficient.’”
Salwa Dawood, a businesswoman, emphasizes the importance of encouraging and developing women in business, empowering them, and providing them with strong preparation. Currently, these efforts will have broader future implications for the national economy across various sectors. She asserts that nurturing female leaders and enhancing their skills in essential economic and financial areas—such as wages and capital—will enable them to transition from the minimum to the highest economic levels, granting them financial independence.
Salwa highlights the significance of conducting comprehensive studies on market dynamics, marketing processes, costs, financial matters, and other relevant aspects. Such studies empower women to effectively manage their projects and ensure their sustainability. Unfortunately, several business projects led by women have failed due to inadequate financial analysis, insufficient training, and poor financial resource management.
She emphasized that women will not have a role in supporting the national economy unless they can overcome some challenges such as lack of capital, insufficient liquidity, low self-confidence, fear of electronic payment methods and lack of trust in them, intense competition in the market, and keeping up with rapid changes in the value of the local currency.
Current Work Conditions
Zahra Ishaq explains that women in business currently face numerous twists and difficulties, leading to the failure of many projects. Notably, Yemen’s ongoing armed conflict over the past nine years has posed significant challenges, resulting in the collapse of several commercial ventures.
The Office of Social Affairs and Labor’s Women’s Development Division in Hadhramaut Al-Sahil provides valuable guidance to businesswomen. They aim to maintain project continuity and achieve substantial profits. Key recommendations include selecting innovative, unique, and market-responsive project ideas.
Zahra provides her guidelines that every businesswoman should follow, which include the importance of preparing a comprehensive feasibility study for the proposed project that includes an analysis of the competitive market and financial feasibility, how to obtain sufficient funding, and working on building a network of connections to improve communication with experienced individuals in the business field, allowing her the opportunity to learn from others’ experiences, benefit from their expertise, and help in developing the project. Moreover, working on continuing training and development in personal and business skills in the field of management, and developing a modern marketing strategy for the product using social media sites online marketing, or local advertising.
Recommendations
To address the most critical challenges facing the empowerment of businesswomen, it is essential to develop recommendations that enhance their capabilities to fulfill their desired roles in supporting the national economy. This can be achieved by expanding business activities
Adeela Al-Saadi emphasizes the importance of training businesswomen in entrepreneurship and establishing partnerships with local and international donor organizations. She also highlights the need for coordination with relevant entities in various economic fields. Additionally, participating in workshops related to economic feasibility studies for projects and collaborating with consulting agencies can provide valuable assistance and guidance to women in the economic domain.
In Hadhramaut Al-Sahil, the Office of Social Affairs and Labor has a proactive partnership with businesswomen. They implement training programs to enhance their business development and assist productive families, ultimately preparing them to become pioneering businesswomen in the future.
The economic successes achieved by Yemeni women reflect their adaptability to the current challenges faced by the country. Empowering them plays a vital role in promoting the economy and achieving sustainable development. Reports emphasize the importance of activating the roles of local and international entities in economically supporting businesswomen and creating an enabling environment for their success and innovation in the job market.