NAGHAM KARACA

Gaza- The Women’s Affairs Center (WAC) opened a bazaar named, “Our Women’s Products”, in the Gaza Strip on Sunday (October 31) to promote women’s economic empowerment, increase women’s political and social participation, and to provide employment and equal pay. Many women have displayed their handicrafts and food products.

“It provides employment opportunities”

In an interview with NuJINHA, the Women's Affairs Center director Amal Siyam said, “The bazaar was opened to empower women’s economic, political, cultural and social participation. This bazaar provides employment opportunities to women. Many women will find job opportunities.”

“This year’s bazaar is different”

Reem Al Nairab, project coordinator at WAC, told us that the center has been carrying out activities to promote women’s economic empowerment for 20 years. “This year’s bazaar is completely different from previously traditional bazaars in the Gaza Strip. This year’s bazaar is an all-women bazaar. Women entrepreneurs have been displaying their products at the bazaar.”

Duaa Abu Jiyab, coordinator of the bazaar, said, “Women entrepreneurs, who try to survive despite poverty and difficult economic conditions, needed a space to display and sell their products. The center has issued a guide for marketing and promoting women’s products in the Gaza Strip. The guide contains information about women’s projects and products. The bazaar hosts many women’s projects about fashion design, sewing, food industries, handicrafts, photography and many more.”

“I never give up despite difficulties”

One of the women displaying their products at the bazaar, Afaf Mesud has a project called, “Sabara” to combine her decoration engineering skills with agricultural products. Speaking about her project, she said, “The project has achieved success since I launched it five years ago. I never give up despite difficulties. I work on national products.”

She markets her products in Europe and the West Bank

Basma Mahmoud is also one of the women displaying their products at the bazaar. She has a store named, “Basma Store” and she designs and makes amigurumi products, the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting stuffed yarn toys, typically creatures having oversized heads. She started her own business in 2016. “I wanted to take advantage of my energies and invest time in finding another way to work and I decided to enter another world. I took training courses from Kuwait and Jordan to be professional in making amigurumi products. No, I market my products in European countries and in the West Bank.”