A WOMAN ON A MISSION!

Who is this extraodinary young woman and what does she exactly do?

Born in a refugee camp where she lived until she was 12, Abeer and her family ultimately moved to Hebron, a city in Palestine’s West Bank. She graduated from a local university with honors, but afterwards, she found herself without many options to apply her talents. When she started teaching at the university, many male students refused to be educated by a female instructor. When she looked for other work, she came up against a lack of economic opportunity in the occupied West Bank. Abeer taught herself how to build her own business and support herself through remote work. As Abeer’s success grew, she expanded her approach to help others in the same situation. In 2013, Abeer founded her first company, StayLinked, which connected talented Palestinian freelancers with businesses around the world.

Through StayLinked, Abeer used Skype to teach tech skills to talented young people in Gaza. At a time when Gaza’s unemployment rate hovered near 43%, Abeer’s company provided jobs for more than 370 men and women, mostly from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

And that was just the beginning...

Abeer: “As a woman, I can help and change the world in my own way, even if society wants to confine us in the kitchen and the house. I have changed the world from the house. I do believe that when you connect people–especially young people and women–with jobs, trainings, and opportunities, you are opening the door to freedom for them."

You have been hailed as the first female high-tech entrepreneur in Palestine. In your eyes, what are the biggest challenges for women in this sector in your country and worldwide?

Abeer: "The MENA region has had the highest youth unemployment rate in the world for over 25 years. Especially for women, that make 24.6% of the labor market in the MENA region, the situation is grave. Despite their high education and knowledge, they have problems finding jobs. Women make 57 % of STEM graduates in the MENA region, which is above the rates in US and EU. And still, they face similar difficulties in entering the labour market as I did.  Conflicts and restriction of movements are key cause of the high rates of unemployment and poverty in Palestine, especially among women .If women want to work they must cross military checkpoints, to get to the nearest city where there is employment.  The checkpoints cause delays in reaching the workplace on time, or even at all. And our families are protective - afraid to let us travel alone. Our culture means women can’t live alone or be out late at night. And as I was growing up I was told “A woman’s future is in her husband’s kitchen". It is a common view in my society. As a result, many marry and stay at home to raise children, either by choice, or because of societal pressures."