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Name: Laura Armgardt
Focus of internship:
Women's empowerment theory and practice, case studies, marketing, design
Overall task
1. To produce text in English on development-related topics
2. To edit the written work of others for whom English is not a first language
3. Help develop marketing materials for Beit al Bawadi and JOHUD projects
4. Help develop and compile materials for JOHUD's website
Progress report
I've been working on a very wide range of topics, from case
studies in the field to learning about document design.
What I have achieved for myself
At first I was mainly working on marketing for Beit al
Bawadi's farmer's market, Souq al Ard, as well as editing some written work in
English for a JOHUD project Kafrein, near the Dead Sea. That proved to be
a gateway into the project itself, as I have recently been going down to the
project site myself and conducting interviews. I will write a final
report on my findings, which deal with access to credit for women in rural
communities. Through my involvement in the Kafrein project, I've learned
immensely about the general field of development and what it takes to produce a
successful project.
In addition to the Kafrein project, I've also been working
on design for the JOHUD website and previous JOHUD case studies. I've
learned a lot about design theory and how to use different programs.
These skills will be invaluable for myself in the future.
What my line manager says about my work
The most interesting parts of my internship so far
Working in Kafrien has been an eye-opening
experience. I study development theory and practice in university, but
this has been my first time working on an actual project. All I can say
is that classroom learning is nothing compared to hands-on experience! I
met and talked to real women facing the issues we read about, such as spousal
abuse, lack of participation in financial matters, and problems with extended
family. The issues have now become very real to me, not just an
intangible thing I read about in case studies.
One of the most significant things I realized is that when
dealing with women's empowerment, you aren't just dealing with the women
involved. You're dealing with the husbands, children, extended family,
community, and countless others. In order for change to happen,
cooperation is needed from everyone. This makes it a very complex and
sometimes frustrating area of work. My passion has always been women's empowerment,
and my experience in Kafrein only reinforced this. I'm glad that now I
have an invaluable real-life experience and expectations to take me into the
future.
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Background to my task:
Access to credit, taken from NDHR 2004 analysis
Obstacles to access to credit
The demand for enterprise-related credit from poor people in socially and geographically isolated communities remains weak. Disconnected from sources of information about microfinance (MF) services, they also lack successful entrepreneurial role models to stimulate interest. Market opportunities are few and far between. For those who do apply, the transaction costs of accessing credit such as time, travel and documentation are extrememly high in relation to the average borrowed amount.
Even when credit is available and accessible, poor people still face considerable bureaucratic obstacles in establishing enterprises. Fulfilling entry requirements such as obtaining licenses is complex, expensive and time-consuming. Often, the use of "connections" is essential to facilitate this process. "I got the approval by wasta, but still the routine procedures took one year," said Harb, a tour guide from Deeseh.
Obstacles for women entrepreneurs
Women entrepreneurs still face constraints linked to perceptions about gender roles. Conforming to social pressure, women tend to operate "gender appropriate" businesses within the confines of their homes: agriculture-based production such as pickles, jams, and dried yoghurt (jameed); soft trades such as sewing, needlework, hairdressing and beauty parlours; or local services such as chair rentals. These are among the vulnerable "easy entry/ easy exit" sectors.
"Family moral support" is an important factor identified by women as contributing to their success in business. Lack of family support, typically expressed by a husband or brother, often hinders a woman's enterprise...Even where women do overcome the practical obstacles to starting and developing a business there still remain cultural barriers to recognition of their achievements. Amina, a successful entrepreneur, noted that, for cultural reasons, the shop is registered in her husband's name even though she is the official owner and the actual manager of the business. As Amina noted, "Still women are not taken seriously as capable business owners by society."
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