Local, women-led businesses participate in ACC trade fair

AMMAN — The Businesswomen’s Committee at the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) has launched its first trade fair on Friday to support women-led sole proprietorships and companies.

The committee, which was founded three months ago, aims to support local businesswomen and enhance female representation in leadership and decision-making positions at the ACC, according to Vice-Chair of the Committee Nesreen Barakat.

In an interview with The Jordan Times, she described women’s participation in the economy as “modest”.

“We have set up a preliminary work plan for events and initiatives that aim to encourage women to not only start businesses, but also ensure that they grow and last, especially in the midst of these difficult economic circumstances,” Barakat said.

She noted that another main goal of the committee is promoting women in leadership roles.

“The ACC Board of Directors has only had an elected female member once. We believe that having a stronger female representation in decision-making positions would go a long way in supporting women in commerce,” Barakat added.

Nourah Mehyar, a member of the committee, said that after meeting with a number of female owners and co-owners of businesses registered at the ACC, the committee found that they all share a need for more networking and marketing opportunities.

“This event, which is organised at an open, public space, aims to address these two important aspects of commerce,” she added.

Mehyar also pointed out that while starting a business is difficult for both males and females, there are certain challenges that are specific to businesswomen.

“The support that women receive to leave their homes and participate in the workforce is much less than that received by men,” she said.

The gender inequality in care-giving responsibilities is a hindrance to women’s work, as they are the predominant providers of “unpaid care” for their spouses, parents and children, Mehyar continued.

Nadia Dajani, also a member of the committee, noted that most businesses still haven’t recovered from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many have closed.

“The number of businesses owned or managed by women is already very small and we’re trying to increase or at least maintain it,” she said, noting that this event is primarily about “women supporting women”.

Only 12.2 per cent of the 22,692 registered sole proprietorships as of 2021 were fully owned by women, according to a study conducted by the committee, which recorded a 1.8 per cent cumulative growth rate in that percentage between 2013 and 2021.

The number of female co-owners of companies in all sectors in 2021 is 8,715, with a 2.9 per cent capital contribution compared with other partners.

The report also showed that the number of companies in which women have at least a 50 per cent ownership stake is 1,492.

This fair, which concludes on Monday, aims to provide a platform for 22 female owners or co-owners of registered businesses to market and sell their products, according to members of the committee at ACC.

It features 22 booths in Swefieh Village, representing a diverse number of sectors, including jewelry, clothing, stationery, organic products and art, among others.