By MARK SUMMERS
MANAMA: Bahraini women must embrace the risks associated with
setting up their own business and take the plunge, a member of a key
organisation said yesterday. They should also be supported in
setting up their own businesses, Centre of Arab Women for Training
and Research's (CAWTAR) information and communication officer Atidel
Mejbri told the GDN yesterday on the second day of a conference to
promote increased information technology (IT) usage among
businesswomen.
"Women here must do business, they must take a risk. We miss
this, in my opinion, the desire to take a risk and to have the
patience and lose and win on the way to a goal," said Ms Mejbri.
She was speaking after a study of businesswomen in five Arab
countries conducted by CAWTAR was released this week, with its
authors concluding there is a need to "motivate more Bahraini women
to take up entrepreneurial activities and recognise their
potential".
Of particular note, the report also concluded that "women may
also be hesitant to approach financial institutions or deal with
male bankers and potentially negative attitudes towards female
clients".
This mindset which could account for the fact that 77 per cent of
Bahraini businesswomen do not finance their businesses with bank
loans or credit from financial institutions, says the report.
"For Bahraini women there is a limit of access to financial
support - but we don't know if they are not aware of sources of
official support. or they have sufficient finances for their
projects. We just know that they have no access to financial
support," said Ms Mejbri.
"Compared to other countries, there is not a large number of
women receiving financial support from banks - but it is not clear
why."
The study, conducted in tandem with the International Finance
Corporation (IFC), interviewed a broad selection of businesswomen in
Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia.
In Bahrain, the survey was conducted by quizzing women who were
listed on the database of the Bahrain Businesswomen's Society and it
reached a number of interesting conclusions.
"One of the main objectives of this study is to empower
businesswomen's organisations to be aware of the problems of
businesswomen and I think in this field the objective was realised,"
said Ms Mejbri.
She said the survey was designed to establish the needs of
businesswomen in the economies of the countries surveyed and its
conclusions would be addressed to policymakers, financial
institutions and women's organisations.
Over a third (34.5pc) of those Bahraini businesswomen who took
part in the survey plan to expand into other markets within the next
two years.
"Bahraini women and Emirati women are more open to the idea of
expanding their business," said Ms Mejbri.
The two-day conference on Information Technology in Enhancing the
Performance and Productivity of Micro, Small and Medium Businesses
concluded yesterday.
It was underlined by the report's findings that only 25pc of
Bahraini businesswomen use the Internet to research new business
opportunities and less than a third of women business owners
(32.3pc) have a company website.
While over 60pc of businesses in Bahrain run by women are solely
owned, Ms Mejbri said efforts should be made to reduce the tendency
of female entrepreneurs to rely on a family member when looking for
a business partner.
"If they have a partner usually it is their husband, or their
brother and it is a family business. We have recommended that
studies be done as to why women have no partners outside the family.
Are they afraid?" she said.
The report notes that "many women are struggling to reach higher
socio-economic and political levels" in Bahrain.
But it also reveals that only two per cent of women surveyed
believe that being a woman is a negative influence on their
business.
"In the Arab world, I am optimistic the gap between women and men
will close. We have to empower women in the economic sphere to grab
these opportunities and to move on," said Ms
Mejbri. |