women-entrepreneurship-development-program
Launched in 2015, our women's empowerment initiative began by reaching farmers and entrepreneurs in 17 villages across the West Bank. Our mission was concrete: to support women in establishing and expanding their agricultural and food businesses. We provided not just materials, resources, training and expert advice, but also tackled critical infrastructure challenges like water scarcity by digging wells. This investment bore remarkable fruit, as many of these projects scaled up to successfully export their products to Gulf countries. These women built a powerful economic network. Now, in the midst of the ongoing incomprehensible crisis, that same network is holding its community together. They are farmers, entrepreneurs, and lifelines for securing food to their communities. But they are under threat.
How We Built a Movement of Women Entrepreneurs
It began with a simple, powerful idea: equip women with the tools to build economic independence. We didn't just offer theories; we took action and helped women to set up their enterprises and sustain them.
- We Listened: Our experts met hundreds of women where they were, assessing their unique skills, resources and challenges.
- We Trained: We provided hands-on workshops in everything from business management to marketing, turning ideas into actionable plans.
- We Invested: With crucial support from the Kuwait Fund and our partnership with the Rural Women Cooperative Association, we helped launch and sustain over 400 women-led enterprises—from smart greenhouses to local food production.
- We tackled the root problems, digging agricultural wells to reduce the water scarcity problem and promoting sustainable practices that made their businesses resilient.
From Entrepreneurs to Lifelines: The War Changed Everything
Today, the war has transformed these businesses from sources of income into sources of survival.
Mona, Dalia, Ameneh, Samah, and over 350 other women are now agents of hope. Their greenhouses and kitchens have become vital sources of food for families and neighbourhoods cut off by military closures, raids, and destroyed infrastructure. Over the past two years, we have helped eight communities in building humble bakeries with initial materials in remote villages in Tulkarem, ensuring that bread is available within their local area.
"If it weren't for my project, I'd be starving to death during this war," says Eman Gazal, one of the entrepreneurs.
But their resilience is being pushed to the breaking point. They face relentless threats:
- Violence: Settler attacks and military operations destroy crops and terrorise families.
- Blockades: Checkpoints and ruined roads prevent them from reaching markets or receiving supplies.
- Economic Collapse: Skyrocketing prices and unemployment make every input a struggle to afford.
We provide support to these women in a variety of ways:
- Emergency Materials: Seeds, tools, and supplies to keep production going.
- Cash Assistance: Grants to cover urgent costs and keep their families afloat.
- Constant Support: Professional advice and networking to navigate an impossible economy.
These women are not just asking for aid; they are the key to their community's recovery. Supporting them means supporting food security, economic recovery, and the very fabric of Palestinian resilience.
