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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 March 1999 Issue No. 421 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 March 1999 Issue No. 421
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Arab businesswomen unite
by Shaimaa LabibMore than 180 businesswomen from 16 Arab countries attended their second economic conference which concluded its sessions in Cairo this week. Entitled "Towards the Arab Common Market," the conference was organised by Businesswomen of Egypt 21 (BWE21), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) of Egyptian businesswomen working to enhance women's active participation in public life.
Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, who inaugurated the conference, welcomed the establishment of the First Federation of Arab Businesswomen as an important outcome of the conference and encouraged the federation's aim of contributing to the establishment of an Arab Common Market. Mrs Mubarak pointed out that many basic products are being imported despite the Arabs' ability to produce the same products at the same quality.
Mrs Mubarak met with members of the federation's founding committee and said that the government supports the role of businesswomen in basic economic activities.
The conference was given unprecedented and high-powered support by both government and business associations. It was sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and MobiNil, the Egyptian mobile telecommunications company. The first Arab businesswomen's meeting was held in Lebanon last October.
Themes relating specifically to women in business were dealt with, such as the impact of small enterprises on women's economic development, how educational organisations can develop businesswomen's entrepreneurial skills and how to enhance women's political participation and decision-making. Broader economic issues were raised, particularly the formation of an Arab Common Market and the need to instil market confidence in Arab products.
Not divorcing the status of businesswomen from that of women at large, several participants argued that women's role in political life has been greatly diminished due to various social and political reasons, when compared to the more activist-oriented era of the 1920s and '30s.
One cabinet member, Mahmoud Sherif, minister of rural development, stressed that "in this particular respect, the National Democratic Party has a role to play in enhancing women's participation in political life through supporting women candidates in elections."
The level of women's political participation will be a major factor determining Egypt's economic and cultural development, according to Member of Parliament Laila Takla. "A country's development is no longer measured by its Gross National Product (GNP) but rather by its Human Development Index. This index evaluates the country's development in fields of education, health care, environmental protection and preserving women's rights," Takla said.
A challenging claim that women have a right to be in top decision-making positions because they tend to think more comprehensively than men was made by Pauline Graham, a British Businesswomen's Association (BBA) member who was invited to attend the meeting in Cairo by the British Council.
"Scientists and psychologists have discovered that there are two kinds of intelligence: rational and emotional intelligence. Women are successful in their businesses because they have always used their two kinds of intelligence," Graham said.
Graham added that any business or organisation not using women in decision-making positions is wasting half of its human capital and is "straight away at a 50 per cent competitive disadvantage relative to others."
In a session entitled "Role of educational organisations in developing the entrepreneurial skills of businesswomen," participants agreed that through knowledge acquisition, businesswomen would be better equipped to enter the global competition.
"In a free market economy, businesswomen have to gain sufficient knowledge in the fields of finance, marketing and business administration. They also have to study the market they are operating in, their competitors and new technological advances to better compete in their businesses," said Minister of Education Hussein Kamel Bahaa El-Din.
Nagla Mortagy, a professor of human resource management and development at Helwan University, said, "It is important to teach university graduates how to set up and manage small businesses, since there are no job opportunities available for them."
Mortagy is one of the founders of the Youth Entrepreneur Society (YES), a non-governmental organisation that supplies graduates wanting to set up their own businesses with feasibility studies, business advice and financial support.
Participants also discussed means of forming an Arab common market, towards which steps have been undertaken by Egypt through its conclusion of Free Trade Areas (FTAs) with each of Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan and Morocco. Negotiations are under way for the formation of FTAs with Libya and Saudi Arabia.
Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz, chairman of the Egyptian Federation of Banks, argued that the formation of an Arab common market will necessitate that governments in the region play a bigger role in helping encourage Arab exporters to invest in Arab markets.
According to Mahmoud Soliman, chairman of the 10th of Ramadan Investors Association, it is essential to build up enough confidence through successful Arab experiences in conducting business as a prerequisite to forming an Arab common market.
"We cannot form a successful common market while relying on foreign experiences in conducting business. For example, Arab organisations should learn to depend on the Lebanese expertise in the field of marketing, instead of depending on foreign expertise which is more expensive and could be less effective," Soliman said.
In a session discussing the factors that have led to decreasing confidence in Arab products and possible means of solving this problem, Yvette Khazami, a member of the Federation of Lebanese Businesswomen, said that Arab products are characterised by low quality, high production costs and high prices. "It is essential for Arab industrial organisations to comply with international standardisation procedures so as to be able to better compete in foreign markets. It is also important to use advanced technological devices in production systems as a way of reducing labour and accordingly, decreasing production costs," Khazami said.
Yomna El-Sheridy, chairman of BWE21, emphasised the importance of utilising the media to rebuild confidence in Arab products. "Arab countries should organise a media campaign to increase confidence in Arab markets and to raise Arab citizens' awareness that by purchasing foreign products, unemployment rates will tend to increase in the Arab countries," El-Sheridy said.
Egyptian Minister of Trade and Supply Ahmed Guweili said he is negotiating with the Minister of Social Affairs Mervat Tellawi for the formation of an Egyptian federation of businesswomen.
"Most African countries have preceded Egypt in the formation of businesswomen's associations, which have played a strong economic role," Guweili said, adding that the federation will represent Egypt at international economic and trade gatherings. "The formation of a businesswomen's federation is meant to create an umbrella for women's business associations in the different governorates," Guweili said. Egypt's representation in international arenas should not be monopolised by one single business association, he added.
Additional reporting by Rania Khallaf and Mahmoud Bakr
