The number of new startups in the Middle East has risen by more than 42% in the past three years
Of all the new startups in the Middle East being launched, 25% are headed up by female entrepreneurs
by Staff Writer at Digital Boom
In comparison, just 17% of startups in America are founded by women. So, why are startups in the Middle Easter led by female entrepreneurs outpacing other nations?
Better education
An impressive 91.5% of young women in the Middle East are educated, according to Global Female Leaders. The International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa report highlights that the majority of women who own their own businesses are well educated, with 91% of those in Bahrain, 79% in Tunisia, and 76% in Jordan having attended further education. Women are also growing increasingly knowledge in expert fields. UNESCO states that between 34% and 57% of students graduate in science, agriculture, or engineering. And despite women in the region facing increasing pressure to stay at home as housewives, technology is making it increasingly easy for them to launch their own business from their own four walls.
With little more than a business plan, their education, knowledge, and some common sense, females in the area can launch any number of profitable businesses. They will, however, require a computer to keep things running over smoothly. Thankfully, the STEM skills that these women have obtained will make it easy for them to determine what they require from their computer. From there, they can opt for a custom-built one to suit their needs and their business’s requirements. The Middle East Eye highlights how one of the most important skills females in education can learn is computer coding as this will aid them in building computers and understanding basic programming. And once it’s all off the ground, they have the potential to add to the $2.7 trillion that Mckinsey predicts the nation’s women will raise if equality in the labor market grows.
