Global & Local Trends in Business Symposium Held in Ramallah

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"Global & Local Trends in Business Symposium Held in Ramallah"

Posted April 30, 2009 by Marah Bukai

by Marah Bukai
(July 6-7, 2008) The Businesswomen Forum – Palestine (BWF-Palestine) recently hosted a high-level conference in Ramallah, “Global and Local Trends in Business and Advocacy’’ where a delegation of three women executives from the U.S. discussed current business and advocacy issues.
The conference featured Deborah Coleman (Parker) (CEO, International Business Solutions Inc.), Stephenie Foster (Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, American Legacy Foundation) and Cynthia Traeger (Chairman, CEO and President, VSI Visual Synthesis Incorporated) who shared their experience with Palestinian businesswomen.
Several topics including sustainable growth in the business sector, financial risk management, lobbying, and advocacy for social change were discussed at the meeting. Attracting such high-level international experts in these topics enhanced the Palestinian experience and contributed to the exchange of experience on both a local and international level.
The BWF-Palestine aims to provide its members, Palestinian women, and the entire society, with tools and strategies to help in strengthening the Palestinian economy, developing society through investment in women’s entrepreneurship, and reinforcing businesswomen capacities to make necessary social change for the promotion of women’s roles within society.
Making opening remarks at the event, Mrs. Manal Zraiq, chairwoman of the BWF-Palestine, discussed the importance of the role of businesswomen in the development of society as well as in influencing plans and policies. The strategy of the forum is based on empowering its members, providing them with necessary capacities, supporting more women’s involvement in the business sector, and participating in making necessary social change for women empowerment, Mrs. Zraiq said.
During the same session, her Excellency Mrs. Khouloud Daibes, Minister of Women’s Affairs, lauded the efforts of the BWF-Palestine and offered her perspective, rich with figures, information and recommendations, on promoting women’s participation in the business sector. She also confirmed the engagement on the part of the government to support women in the business sector via the Development and Reform Plan.
Mr. Jonathan Carpenter, Economic Section Chief at the US Consulate, confirmed the Consulate’s ongoing support of the business sector and businesswomen. He welcomed participants to exchange their experiences in order to enhance understanding of the Palestinian business environment.
The first working session focused on tools and strategies for achieving sustainable corporate growth in a challenging business environment. It was led by Dr. Basem Makhool, Economic Advisor at PALTEL Group, and featured of Mr. Mazen Sinokrot and Ms. Cynthia Traeger who provided a diagnostic of the most important challenges facing the business sector in Palestine and the most important methods and mechanisms to deal with them.
Led by Mrs. Abla Maayeh, the second working session focused on successfully managing financial risk. Mrs. Deborah Coleman (Parker) and Mr. Hanna Sahhar discussed issues like credit guarantees and high credit rates that consequently lead to a higher risk for businesswomen.
The second day of the conference featured several plenary sessions, including one that focused on the social, economic and political impacts of women’s participation in the economy, unanimously judged as important and necessary. The three Corporate Ambassadors participated in this session where Mrs. Zahira Kamel, director of the Palestinian Women Centre for Research and Documentation, presented results from a survey led by the centre, in collaboration with the Palestinian Centre for Statistics.
Mrs. Shuaa Murrar, CEO and Owner, Riyada Consulting and Training, also participated in the plenary session and presented a study she carried out with the BWF-Palestine and the World Labor Organization. The study showed the importance of supporting women in the business sector both on a material and moral level as they play an important role in supporting the Palestinian economy.
Additionally, Mrs. Murrar discussed the importance of businesswomen’s contributions, in spite of their limited number in terms of labor force participation, as they distinguish themselves with their high degree of competitiveness, admittance of difference, and openness towards society and the world.
The importance of engaging the business sector in social change was targeted in the second plenary session presided over by Mrs. Salam Kanaan, Country Director, Save the Children UK. Mrs. Amal Jaddou, from the Office of the President, and Ms. Stephenie Foster spoke about the importance of the positive orientation of activities intended to make change, and building necessary alliances to lobby decision makers.
After discussing fundamental and theoretical issues related to the importance of the private sector in advocacy, Ms. Stephenie Foster, assisted by Mrs. Lubna Katbeh, trained participants in the most important steps to take in order to create change using issues considered as priorities by the BWF-Palestine such as strengthening women’s presence in business sector representative boards such as Pal Trade and chambers of commerce.
Split into two groups, participants discussed in detail topics tied to securing government contracts for women-owned businesses, encouraging leadership thought through education, and raising awareness about the importance of increased women’s participation in the labor market.
At the closing session Mrs. Manal Almaghribi-Almassri set out the most important recommendations made by participants. The meeting ended with private audiences between experts and Palestinian businesswomen who got answers to their questions and exchanged experience about the problems they face.
The conference spokeswoman, Mrs. Amal Draghma Almassri, added that the event was part of the newly launched Corporate Ambassadors Program, a collaboration between the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), Vital Voices Global Partnership, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Businesswomen’s Network of which the BWF-Palestine is a founding member.