WEBB Middle East:"An Egyptian Feminist Movement into Global Digital Action"

Introduction:

Rim believes that woman in business has the power within her and around her.This power might be enough to drive her to reach success and achieve her dreams. In Middle Eastern communities the participation of women in the economy is weakest among all women in the world. For years, women were marginalized and not given decision-making positions,as tradition dictated that men were better able and suited to make rational business decisions. Often times,neither father,nor brother,or husband allowed them to work in public career,or to launch businesses that involve communicating with public. But Today, with more and better opportunities of Education & Communication,as well as more frequent contacts between East and West through Internet & Media, the Middle Eastern women are looking sustaining and raising over career challenges,they are looking for equality between genders.
Rim's mind never seemed to stop. As Egyptian business woman for more then 22 years and also as a mentor, She realized it wasn't all just about the achievement of her personal dreams,it was also playing an important role in connecting female entrepreneurs and business owners and professionals across borders specially those who their businesses were affected by the Arab springs.
She wanted to take action and support businesses that enhance women’s marketable skills to increase the value of women-owned businesses,to expand women’s participation in the region’s economy,to help them to become and be seen as engines for economic growth and to build a rising pulse of women’s empowerment across the globe.
Women’s economic empowerment is a global issue that has a particular resonance in the Arab world. Women represent just less than 1 in 7 of the 5,887 firms in 10 MENA countries.
Businesswomen in the Middle East face many challenges: gaining access to capital to start and grow businesses, opening new markets, building strong brands and loyal customers, gaining the skills and experience to capitalize on opportunity, leveraging technology and recruiting and maintaining talent. Without doubt getting an online start-up business would be both cost-efficient and easier for women specially with family commitments.It will helps them to increase their visibilities,to strengthen their brands,to create competitive advantages and to open up opportunities for their businesses to attract new customers for both local and global markets.

Professional challenge : "Taking Action"

In December 2012, Rim established WEBB International Middle East with the vision to Pool all Women & Youth Skills around the globe under one roof at one place....Working Together Across Sectors ... Building Business and Bridging Culture .

What WEBB Stand for ? Women Engaging in Bridge Building
WEBB History : It started as a movement :
The Birth of the idea of WEBB was in Milan,Italy in 2001.
Dr.Riffat Hassan a Pakistani-American theologian-Professor at the University of Louisville, Mrs.Louise Kissane- businesswoman, Nancy Fina - professional photographer, Laure capelle and Several European businesswomen were united in 2001 in Italy by a common commitment to build bridges of human understanding with people of all cultures and faiths and break cultural barriers, stereotypes and prejudices in order to create a culture of knowledge, dialogue, empowerment, respect and peace.
In 2003, Ms.Nazreen Ali Established WEBB Canada ,as a women-led organization ( NGO )dedicated to providing opportunities for exchange, support and sharing of information between people from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. In 2010, Mrs.Rim Siam became WEBB Representative in the Middle East.
In 2012, Mrs.Rim Siam Established WEBB International Middle East to create an ONLINE Platform that connects FEMALE entrepreneurs and business people across sectors together through building business bridges. Rim said; "WEBB International Middle East will not merely have online presence;It will also have offline presence in different countries. However,its power will be first gained from its website and online community. It will have representative offices in different countries to serve in building professional & commercial bridges.WEBB International middle East is revolutionary in its simplicity as well as its depth."

WEBB International Middle East.Ltd mission's;

-Building Online Women's Enterprises: www.webb-middleeast.com
An internet based brand “ WEBB Megastore “ That women’s enterprise across different sectors( Trading,fashion,tourism,real estate,home décor,agriculture ..etc ) will be recognized as a leader in the promotion,marketing and sale of its products in the online retail marketplace.

-Creating an online services “WEBB Business Center”: www.webb-middleeast.org
Providing for the first time online Skype Translators who can help in translating Business and Medical online communications.
 Providing online Secretaries who can fullfil businessmen/women's work.

-Transforming it's online"WEBB Megastore"into an offline brand name store( like gallery Lafayette,harrods,Macy's..etc ).

-Providing Online Education Sessions:WEBB International Middle East in association with the Hotmommasproject.org out of the George Washington school of business will provide Online Business Educational sessions to fill the gap and increase self confidence in girls & women globally. http://vimeo.com/65011553

-Empowering women and Youth through training sessions to become leaders and successful entrepreneurs:WEBB Middle East in association with UNIDO-ITPO Bahrain announced Initiative;
“Empowering 20000 Women & Youth by 2020 through 200 leaders in Arab & African Countries :
Entrepreneurship Training of Trainers (T.O.T) for New Enterprise Creation in order to provide employment and income generating opportunities .“Having a new, valuable and practical idea with a creative mind does NOT lead to entrepreneurial behavior.In addition to those,a step by step process should be trained by an expert entrepreneurship trainers in order to easily, effectively and quickly bring the ideas to economic and/or social value.”The purpose of the TOT Program is capacity building to gain quality management knowledge and expertise."

WEBB International Middle East is Seeking full cooperation of esteemed companies and organizations in supporting its goal to Building Business and Bridging Culture and to cement its vision to increase women and youth’s capacity to understand, appreciate and value their differences as well as their similarities.