Women Led Enterprise: Strategies to Revive Hebron’s Economy

With a population at well over 700,000, Hebron is by far the largest city in Palestine. From textile to tannery, the stone and marble industry to handcrafts over the years Hebron has dominated the country’s export potential and has come to be known as Palestine’s industrial center. In fact, Hebron’s industrial sector is responsible for 27 percent of Palestinian exports, regionally to Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt, and even internationally to the United States. However, as the fourth industrial revolution continues to sweep the globe, new digital technologies, and solutions need to be developed to help kick-start Palestine’s virtual economy, one that transcends borders and helps Palestinians everywhere access global markets.  

Hebron Industry: an Overview

Hebron suffers from some of the highest unemployment rates in the country, which is at a staggering 20 percent. To create a more inclusive socioeconomic environment that meets the needs of the local economy, TVET has been promoted as a potential strategic turning point. However, UNSCO reports that due to lack of access to essential resources, and outdated manufacturing, and business models, structural shortcomings are holding back the effectiveness of the Hebron economy. Through the active collaboration of stakeholders within both the private and public sectors, TVET can help address the mismatch between traditional education and the practical needs of the economy.

The question becomes, what are the strategies needed to revitalize Hebron’s stagnating economy and comply with international standards. One promising solution would be to improve the quality of education available to the youth, especially women who have the highest rates of secondary and higher education enrollment, yet the highest numbers of unemployment. This need emphasizes the importance of building the foundations needed for self-starters to access to skills and resources needed to succeed. Self-starters also need access to infrastructure and cutting-edge tech to generate viable enterprises that offer digital solutions within and outside of Palestine.

The importance of building the foundations needed for a new generation of entrepreneurship cannot be overstated. And skilled women must be incorporated into the very core of this new era of innovation and entrepreneurship, and not just as beneficiaries, but as leaders of change. 

TVET: Marketable Skills for Women Entrepreneurs

Women make up more than 348,000 of Hebron’s population, and enrollment rates for females in secondary school is at 91 percent, and 60 percent of the total number of students enrolled in higher education. However, women make up only 21 percent of the labor force, while men represent the majority at a staggering 72 percent. 

Making up nearly half of Hebron’s population, talented and skilled women are an asset to the city and integral for sustainable, equitable economic development. To capitalize on the economic potential skilled women have to offer, a coordinated approach with stakeholders in both the private and public sectors needs to be adopted. This approach must ensure the inclusive participation, especially for women, who at 51 percent suffer from the highest rates of unemployment throughout the country, while the number for men is at 25 percent. Through TVET, unemployed women can acquire a variety of skills needed to establish SMEs with real market potential, and become active participants in their local economies.

Not only will this help create a resilient economy, but it will also boost Hebron’s industrial sector via enhanced supply chain linkages between local industries and women-led SMEs. As a result, larger companies will be able to source certain production or development components to women-led SMEs, helping them reduce costs while enhancing the viability of emerging businesses.

Promoting a more inclusive TVET sector will allow marginalized youth and women, to acquire the in-demand skills, and know-how to navigate the market economy and establish viable businesses.  Further, TVET fosters the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship and allows individuals, especially skilled women with a background in the sector, to infuse a fresh perspective on challenges faced by local markets and industries.

TVET, Local Industry, and Women Led Enterprise

TVET is linked to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4) which stresses the right to a quality, inclusive and equitable right that promotes “lifelong learning opportunities for all.” This includes the implementation of policies that ensures equity, accessibility, and participation of youth in TVET institutions. As such it is clear that through TVET, Palestine’s youth can acquire the skills required for employment opportunities, the skills to become self-starters, and the ability to realize their economic potential.

For the TVET sector to have a measurable impact, a more collaborative approach must be adopted by key stakeholders in both the private and public sectors. This will pave the way for the implementation of incentives and policies that not only promotes TVET but extends towards enhancing local industry while promoting the growth of new tech based ones.

To ensure the emergence of a more equitable economy, more enterprises with women at the helm needs to become the norm. As such, programs that enhance skilled women’s access to the resources, human capital, and markets will, without a doubt, help boost Hebron’s range of industries and economic sustainability. This is why private sector companies need to get on board and take an active role in the development of their local economies, especially by working with women-led enterprises to establish mutually beneficial outsourcing partnerships.