Aida AbuRas Doha Feb202014 First Arab States Regional SouthSouth Development EXPO Outline Definition Business Women Women Entrepreneurs Evolution of Entrepreneurship Opportunities Challenges ID: 180203
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Business Opportunities/challenges for Women in the Arab Region
Aida
Abu-Ras
Doha- Feb.20.2014
First Arab States Regional South-South Development EXPOSlide2
Outline:
Definition: Business Women.
Women Entrepreneurs
Evolution of EntrepreneurshipOpportunitiesChallengesPolicy RecommendationsSlide3
Business Women- Definition
A woman
who works in business especially in a high
position.A woman who is good at dealing with business and financial matters(Merriam Webster Dictionary).A woman who works in business, especially one who has a high position in a company. (Cambridge Dictionaries on line)Businesswoman is a description for a woman entrepreneur who particular undertakes business activities for the purposes of generating revenue. She does this by combining her human ability and financial or physical capital to attain her business goals.
www.ask.comSlide4
Women Entrepreneurs
An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome. The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist
Richard
Cantillon.“An enterprise owned and controlled by a women having a minimum financial interest of 51 per cent of the capital and giving at least 51 per cent of the employment generated by the enterprise to women.” Government of IndiaSlide5
Evolution of Entrepreneurship
In the 1980s, the Gender and Development approach (GAD), influenced by social feminism, post-modern and post-colonial theories, took into account the totality of women's lives, rejecting the public/private dichotomy which serves to devalue women's work at home. Focus on women's perspectives on development makes women the “subjects” rather than “objects” of development, change agents rather than welfare recipients. The GAD approach works to move women from the margin to the
center
by allowing them to gain a sense of control over their lives (empowerment).Source: OECDSlide6
Opportunities
Percentage of educated women in the Arab region is high, although illiteracy rate in some country is still high (Yemen, Egypt, Iraq)
Availability of vocational training, although percentage of women enrolment is still low
Availability of resourcesPercentage of youth is high in the Arab regionPolitical will, and commitments to implement international conventions (CEDWA)Availability of programs for capacity building targeted women. (Donors’ Role)Slide7
Opportunities
NGOs and civil Societies are key players, and their mummers are increasing although in different structures and forms
(some
providing business incubators)ICT revolution, where the number of people having internet access is increasingNational Women machineries/ ( strategies for women and family are in place in most of the Arab CountriesPolicy reforms that is taking place in the regionWomen are member of parliaments and municipalitiesSlide8
Challenges
Assets Acquisition :
Spending on family welfare
deprivation from their inheritanceAccess to loans and loaning terms and conditions, (i.e) holding property is a precondition to loans in most case.Slide9
Challenges
Mind set in the Arab regionSlide10
Challenges
Lack
of
confidence. Having accepted a subordinate status for longFamily burdens and responsibilitiesLaws and regulations (family laws, tax, export and import)opportunity identification and/or opportunity exploitationlack of role models in entrepreneurshipLack of experienceLack of relevant networks and of societal positionSlide11
Challenges
Availability of statistics:
Informal sector
Longitudinal data for having information about business development ,sustainability and growthMarketingOut reach of Existing business women net works Access to internet and lack of experience in ICT Insufficient technical skills in relation to packaging/storage of products Conflict in the regionSlide12
Policy Recommendations
Need to adopt Family
Polices
Revision of labor lawsRevision of economic lawsRevision of social security lawsMainstream gender in national development agendas/strategies( as a cross cutting issue)