Syria celebrates women's day
Syria, Culture, 3/8/2002

The World Food program WFP has been working in Syria since the 1960s, on development and emergency projects. It main goal in Syria is to help beneficiaries' assets and assist them in embarking on sustainable livelihood. The WFP portfolio comprises two projects valued at USD 31 million. These were completed December 2001.

Among the assistance given in the New project "10070" Support to small farmers and herders on marginal and degraded lands in Syria are: literacy and awareness classes; 750 course over 3 years targeting 15,000 women; vocational training: 150 courses over 3 tears targeting 3000 women; Specialized training: 120 courses over 3 years targeting 2040 women nursery workers and income generating activities: 8 courses on Start Your Own Business ( SYB ) over 3 years targeting 200 women Highlighting the WFP activities in Syria on the occasion of the International Day for Women,WFP representative & country director in Damascus Mr. Mohamed El-Kouhene said in a statement to Arabic News (ArabicNews.com) that the important thing is the World Food Program WFP is one of the major agencies which focuses its programs on empowering women and mainstreaming gender in its development activities.

During 1995 at the Beijing conference the WFP was the only agency to set statistical targets for gender equality both among its millions of beneficiaries and within the organization itself.. These targets include 80% of food relief will be distributed directly to women; 60% of WFP's resources in a country with a significant gender gap will go to women and girls; 50% of WFP's educational resources in a country will go to girls; 25percent of the results of Food- for Ð Work projects should directly benefit women; and 50% of the employees of the WFP will be women..

Of course Syria is a typical country where the WFP intends to promote gender equality in its projects.

So, he said, we have started these activities, noting that the WFP has been in Syria since 1960s and has been and continue to be the agency which maintains the largest portfolio in the country. He continued that right now, " we have above USD 33 million for under going projects and we have just approved a new 11.4 USD million project which targeted to the marginal and degraded land in the adjacent of the green belt and Badia areas in Syria. He said in that area women bear the burden of poverty and are more vulnerable, with many of them are women- headed house hold.

He continued that the WFP's ongoing and the new activities aim at improving the socio- economic conditions of the populations with special attention given to rural women. He continued, " Over 58% of our new project beneficiaries ate women, noting that women will be involved at all levels of the project. The WFP will assist them in converting their lands to more productive agricultural activities. They will be involved in fish- farming we well as a range Ðland activity.

He continued that beside the 15,000 women who will receive literacy courses and awareness and other 3,000 will attend vocational training course. He explained that courses are organized with close co-operation with the ministry of Culture in Syria, and we are pleased in the WFP to benefit from the experience and support of the minister of culture in Syria Dr. Najwa Qassab Hassan to this effect.

He continued that these courses include all tools that will enable women to be aware of her right and how to participate in the socio- economic development of the country.

He added that as an incentive to encourage those women to participate in this course the WFP provides them with food ratios ( equal to 50 Kg of food flower) to compensate the family for the loss of labor within the household and time-taken from farming and other related activities.

He added that after the completion of literacy courses and the vocational training, women became eligible to receive a loan from a saving fund established by the WFP. He said also including in the courses is a special training to women on how they can start their own business. The loans are provided at very low interest rate and at very smooth terms and conditions.

He elaborated that all these incentives and conditions summarized above aim at ensuing a sustainable development. So that, he hinted, when the WFP and the Syrian government support stops, the beneficiaries can continue to support themselves without external assistance.

Highlighting the close cooperation with the Syrian government to this effect, Mr. El-Kouhene said:" we work closely with the Syrian government and for each one USD put by WFP the Syrian would put twice as much in a co-financed project. Citing an example on the share activities, Mr. El-Kouhene said for the new said project the WFP put USD 11.4 million, and the Syrian government put over USD 20 million. And this is to say that our activities fit squarely with the strategic priorities of the Syrian government.

Previous Stories:
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