DUBAI: A top United Nations official has said that female business leaders and entrepreneurs are outperforming their male counterparts in Bahrain and will be vital to the future creation of jobs in the country's private sector. “The participation of women entrepreneurs has increased by 59 per cent in the last one year,” UN Industrial Development Organization (Unido) director Hashim Hussein told the Gulf Daily News. “The success rate of women is higher than men's. Also, the Bahrain Model for Entrepreneurship Development and Enterprise Development, which is implemented in more than 68 countries, draws its core support from women,” he noted. “Four Bahraini women were chosen as entrepreneur ambassadors at the general conference of Unido last year,” he added during a visit to the Bahrain Businesswomen's Society (BBS). He added that demographic and economic indicators project that the Arab region requires 100 million jobs by 2015. Encouraging women entrepreneurs to proactively contribute to the economy can help fill the gap, he added. “Culturally, women have been the disadvantaged group,” he added. “Man has been looked as the protector and all support has been given to men. Women can play a big role in the family and contribute economically. They can also play a more proactive role in the private sector,” he noted. “We have an agreement with the BBS and now we are validating how we can facilitate access of women to the private sector. “The new board has been doing a great job working with Tamkeen and inJAz and they have a dedicated team of women we have been working with since 2003.” “However, there are a number of challenges facing entrepreneurs in Bahrain, he said. “There's a weak entrepreneurship culture here,” Hussein stated. He demanded that the country begin to see women as integral to the future of business in the country and across the region, citing historical precedents. He praised the entrepreneurial spirit of ancient Arabs and urged young entrepreneurs to develop skills to facilitate the growth of their enterprises. “Historically, entrepreneurship started in this part of the world. “Our ancestors, the Phoenicians, traveled thousands of years ago in ships made of cedar. “Most of the inventions and discovery of trading routes can be credited to Arabs. “They've always been thinking about making a better life for themselves. “There is a need to develop programs for awareness and stimulating economic empowerment for Arab society,” he said.
