Jordan Times
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Arab women entrepreneurs ahead of Western counterparts
AMMAN — Reducing the time it takes to register a business and increasing access to capital
topped list of major challenges facing women entrepreneurs in Jordan, according to two reports released on Wednesday.
The national and regional reports, entitled: “Women Entrepreneurs: Characteristics,
Contributions and Challenges,” outline main successes and challenges facing businesswomen
in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The reports are part of a cooperative effort between the World Bank Group and International Finance Corporation and the Tunisian-based Centre of Arab Women for Training and Research.
During the launch ceremony, Her Majesty Queen Rania described the Arab women surveyed in
the reports as the future of the Arab world.
“The reports draw attention to the future steps needed to support and strengthen women’s
role in business, through improving the economic atmosphere in the Middle East and North
Africa,” she said.
The reports study the progress of businesswomen in Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and
the UAE.
Among their recommendations are promoting business ownership and loans and guarantees for
small- and medium-sized business and introducing flexible labour laws to meet minimum
requirements of Arab women businesses owners.
“MENA women entrepreneurs are most likely to own firms in the service sector, in retail
trade, or in nondurable manufacturing. The majority are well-educated, married and have
children,” the regional report says.
The report also states that women business owners in the MENA are well ahead of their
counterparts in Western Europe and North America with respect to the size of their firms
and their revenues.
“In Bahrain, 10 per cent of firms surveyed generate more than $100,000 per annum, as do 6
per cent in Jordan, 18 per cent in Tunisia and 33 per cent in UAE,” says the report.
“Between 61 per cent and 88 per cent of survey participants expressed optimism regarding
their own enterprises, while 47 per cent to 87 per cent expressed optimism about their
national economic prospects,” both reports note.
The regional report indicates that between one-quarter and one-half of Arab businesswomen
are trading internationally and utilise information and communications technology well
above the per capita average worldwide.
Among the top challenges facing women are: learning financial management skills, finding
and keeping good employees, access to capital and the high cost of public services.
“Most women business owners are interested in receiving external training and support
services,” the reports say.
“With limited access to formal finance, women are financing their businesses mostly through
personal sources including savings, friends and family and by reinvesting business earnings.”