Women empowerment: certificate-award ceremony in East Jerusalem
05-09-2019 | di COOPI

Women empowerment: certificate-award ceremony in East Jerusalem

A certificate-award ceremony was conducted on Wednesday, August 21st in Madaa Center, in Silwan, where 36 women completed their training in Make-up and Hairstyling.

Following these courses, other 21 women took on startup business training, which allowed them to improve their knowledge and skills on how to start in the marketplace. The training focused on several topics, such as entrepreneurship, business models, marketing, bookkeeping and how to write a complete business plan.

Raneen Rabee was one of the women participating in the vocational training and she shared her experience with us: "Although the makeup training was long and intensive, I felt a big sense of community and it gave me the chance to finally learn how to apply makeup and hopefully become a professional makeup artist.

And for the startup business training, I was very shy in the beginning and didn’t have the courage to participate. But as the days went by, the trainer’s way of involving each person in the discussions helped me get familiar and gain confidence. By the end of the training I was able to stand in front of the class and present my business idea, which made me feel proud of myself.

Once COOPI staff and other representatives from AICS and project partners Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) and Arab Counselling Center for Education (ACCE) congratulated on the women entrepreneurship and achievements, the ceremony participants were awarded the certificates and startup kits, containing the items needed for any of these women to start working and generating income right away.

The certificate-award ceremony was part of the project entitled "Our lives, our future. Protection, resilience and empowerment of vulnerable Palestinian women in East Jerusalem" funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

As Francesca Lazzari, COOPI Project Leader points out: “the project aims to empower women in two neighborhoods, Silwan and Issaweyeh, in multiple ways one being economically. Therefore, the beneficiaries were selected according to certain criteria and were given the choice between learning one profession makeup or hairstyling, followed by a startup business training to enhance their chances in improving their financial situation.

Teaching entrepreneurial skills and improving economic independence stimulated in women both at personal and social level - after the training, women have developed greater awareness of their role and capabilities. Women are satisfied with their achievements and they feel they can assert themselves both within the family and in the community.