Bank of Palestine implemented a training course is digital skills for businesswomen and entrepreneurs in partnership with Market Place Investments, the Middle East Business Magazine, the Representative Office of Lithuania in Palestine and Audio Web. This training is considered among the educational and awareness-raising activities implemented by the bank for women and business entrepreneurs, as part of the Felestineya Program for empowering Palestine women in the fields of leadership, marketing, management and other fields.
The training was implemented over a period of three days by a group of local and international male and female trainers , involved the participation of 16 women; from women who already have established projects in various fields, including embroidery, training and consultation centers, physiotherapy, recycling, baking and food preparation, reservations, beauty centers and programming.
During the training, the floor was opened for discussion by experts in the field in order to enrich the skills of trainees. Ms. Amal Masri, the Chief Executive Officer of Ougarit Group, highlighted the issue of economic independence among women, considering the key to their advancement and their way to a better life. Mr. Husan Jadah talked about awareness in online commerce and data pertaining for social media platforms and their role in promoting sales for productive projects. Mr. Hussam Awwad, the Director of Business Development and Financial Inclusion at Bank of Palestine, addressed the special benefits provided by plastic cards to merchants and project owners, and their impact on electronic payments. Another group of experts included Ms. Linda Safarini, an progressive legal expert in human rights and international human rights law, especially that related to women and youth; photographer Ahed Izheiman, who clarified the concepts of documentary photography and shared samples of his work; and Mr. Ahmad Barakat, an aficionado of social media marketing tools who works in the field of digital marketing.
Mr. Sharif Abu Sneineh, the Chief Executive Officer of Market Place Investments, stressed that "what makes this training powerful is the diversity of experts involved, from handpicked local to foreign experts." He expressed his enthusiasm about being part of promoting digital skills among Palestinian businesswomen in the ever-changing and competitive world of the digital landscape.
Mr. Artūras Gailiūnas, the Head of the Representative Office of Lithuania in Palestine, pointed out that "economic security is an urgent necessity when it comes to Palestinian women. This training managed to supply Palestinian businesswomen and entrepreneurs with many digital skills and much needed knowledge, as well as establish a network between Lithuanian and Palestinian businesswomen."
Alongside these speeches, a group of Lithuanian speakers and trainers, owners of established projects, raised important details pertaining to doing business, marketing and trademarks, and exchanged their experiences and expertise with the trainees. They brought some of their products and elaborated on the design of effective packaging that responds to the needs and expectations of customers as well as the marketplace. They also discussed the tools used in promoting these products on social media platforms and building a strong customer database. Trainees also had the opportunity to participate in one-on-one consultations to discuss their projects and receive recommendations and guidance.
It is important to mention that the training sessions attracted the attention of several women in terms of the subjects that were addressed, the problems and obstacles confronted, and even finding solutions and obtaining advice from trainers. The trainees' participation was extremely interactive, and focus was placed on digital marketing issues that should not be neglected: texts, photos, legal and financial aspects, in addition to ways and mechanisms that they should follow in order to increase interaction and response, taking into consideration continuous development and keeping up with any changes that impact demand on products and services.
At the end of the training, trainees received certificates in the presence of the Head of the Representative Office of Lithuania, Mrs. Raya Yousef-Sbitany, the Director of Business Development and Financial Inclusion at Bank of Palestine, and Mrs. Amal Daraghmeh Masri.