Arab businesswoman regional seminar: Activating women's role in economic, business development
Syria-Regional, Economics, 4/23/2002

Deliberations of the regional seminar on "Activating women's role in economic development, business administrations " started on April 21st through 23rd.

The seminar which is held under the patronage of Syria's First Lady Asma al-Assad is attended by 14 Arab states. They are Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Oman. Activities of the seminar are distributed on 6 morning and evening sessions on Sunday and Monday in which 21 lectures were read by ministers, experts and business women, About the activities of this seminar the chairperson of the women industrialists society and deputy chairperson of the council of the Arab League's businesswomen Mrs. Reem Khaddam said this seminar is the first of its kind to be held in Syria. Its researches are concentrated on the four following domains: Surveys on the status of women in the participating countries regarding population number, working women average, sectors in which women are employed and obstacles impeding her; Economic development's plans and requirements and the opportunities of women's participation in them. These include underway and future projects and work opportunities for women as well as plans to merge the woman to development; Qualifying the woman and training her on how she can start her special project; training and upgrading, reviewing experiences of Arab and foreign countries in this regard and drawing plans and proposals for new women's projects; Means of supporting the woman and providing her with needed banking and financial activities, administrative legislation, making use of the educational centers to this effect and supporting products exports and promotion.

Mrs. Khaddam explained that the Syrian women industrialists committee has prepared a study on the status of the Syrian woman and the gains she has already scored following the launching of the Correctionist Movement led by the late President Hafez al-Assad. Gains which have been enhanced under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad.

Deputy chairperson of the Syrian industrialists committee Mrs. Elfat Tarabishi said that preparations for this seminar started in October 2001 and that a work team of businesswomen completed the job in collaboration with the chamber of industry. She indicated that sub- committees were formed to help in this regard.

She indicated that great hopes are pinned on the seminar which is expected to acquaint with the investment climate in Syria especially following the issuance of law no. 10 on encouraging investment of 1991, its later amendments and the privileges it provides to investors. The seminar she continued, also aims at promoting for the Syrian products, increasing the volume of inter- Arab trade and carrying out joint industrial ventures.

She indicated that on Tuesday ( April 23rd) workshops will be held including meetings for the business women in the various sectors of industry at the Damascus Chamber of industry. She added these are workshops on textiles, foodstuffs, chemical and engineering industries.

Mrs. Wasila al-Nouri, the secretary for the industrialist businesswomen committee said that great efforts were exerted to make this seminar a success, especially as it is being held for the first time in Syria. She said that the title of the seminar speaks itself and indicates its set objectives which is to maintain a prominent presence for the women in the national economy and to be able to run her own establishment because most of industrial establishments run by women are within the family confines either for the father or for the husband.

She said in order to activate women's role, obstacles should be eliminated especially problems relating to finance and administrative complexities.

She said:" we are all hope that the seminar will be conducive to increasing trade exchange among the Arab states especially as women who participate in the seminar are owners of industrial projects ."

Engineer Sawsan al-Jindi, the director general of the " Syrian Dairy Company" and also the internal relation official at the industrialist businesswomen committee said that this seminar falls in the course of strengthening the role played by the woman and encouraging her to found private enterprising projects, especially as the Syrian woman has proved success in all post she has assumed.

Mrs. Aseel al-Taji indicated the Arab products exhibitions which was opened on the sideline of the seminar with the aim to acquaint with these products. She said that every participating country has a pavilion.

She explained that the aim of the exhibition and also the workshop is to promote the quality of the Syrian products.

She expressed hope that the seminar will help to increase the exchange of expertise and to conclude agreements on trade exchange between the Arab states.

She also said that this seminar is an opportunity for business women who plan to found industrial firms, especially if they have ready feasibility studies, to find out partners who can contribute partially to the capital or the financing of a set project, as well as exchange of expertise in training special cadres especially as training opportunities for women are less due to special social conditions.

" Out of this seminar we seek to reactivate the role of the woman in the national economy especially as number of industrialist businesswomen is still less than of businessmen number ," she said, concluding that this seminar is an opportunity to highlight the experiences of successful Syrian and Arab businesswoman.

Previous Stories:
  A regional seminar for Arab business women   (4/20/2002)
  Rabat hosts sub-regional forum on women and micro-finance   (4/18/2002)
  Arab business women conference in Damascus hosted by Syria's first lady   (3/25/2002)
  Arab business women conference in Damascus hosted by Syria's first lady   (3/25/2002)
  Arab Labor Congress meets on Saturday   (3/1/2002)
  Syrian First Lady discusses cooperation in handicrafts industries with Italian minister   (2/21/2002)

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