Locations
In a village in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, a group of ambitious women gathered under the roof of a unique project, as one of them describes. “Buying and selling sheep is a man-dominated trade in our area. I could see the astonishment on the merchants’ faces during my presence in the sheep market”, said Asmaa, one of the 25 women who benefited from the Women Safe Incubator Space project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme with support from the UN Joint Programme (EU, Norway, and Italy). “Some even tried to take advantage of us being new to this business. I was confident and stood up to them. This made them respect me and even started offering support, especially since it was my first time going to a livestock sale,” she added.
As a result of the crisis in Syria, women and girls in Deir ez-Zor Governorate faced hardship and numerous challenges. Many of the women, despite losing their husbands and becoming the sole breadwinners, showed remarkable resilience. They faced difficulties in finding work in their communities, as it was not the norm, but they did not give up.
Asmaa opened her sheep farm business after receiving the necessary business development training and start-up grant through the Incubator project. The training, which was comprehensive and practical, focused on business and financial literacy, including calculating costs and profits, and even helped us in our family budgeting. Now, we will not be disregarded by the men at the market," said Asmaa. The training sessions provide individual and group support and a safe space for women and girls to exchange experiences, stimulate creativity, and build strong bonds. The women learned how to promote effective communication and overcome personal challenges. Several legal and health awareness workshops were also provided.
During the training, the women chose a project idea compatible with the surrounding environment. They decided to raise sheep, and after obtaining funding, they began dividing the work among themselves to implement their business. They rented land, went to the sheep market, and bought 25 sheep.
“I cannot describe our feeling of joy when the project was approved. Some villagers in our community told us it was a waste of time going to the training. Still, when the project succeeded, they wanted to be part of it,” Maryam – another participating woman in this project, added, her voice filled with pride and satisfaction.
The 25 women set the roles among themselves. For example, Asmaa was responsible for buying sheep from the market, while Maryam was providing food, and so on. They divided the work into shifts to feed, care for, and clean the sheep. “We used to think that women were only housewives. Today, we know that every woman has the right to work, help her husband and family, and own her own business to improve their financial situation,” Asmaa said. “I want to establish a charitable organization to provide assistance to the poor and people in need in the village, similar to how UNDP provided assistance to me”.
Within one month, the women were able to earn an income, expand their project, and buy 12 newborn sheep. This not only improved their financial situation but also contributed to the local economy, inspiring other women to follow their lead.
" Some villagers in our community told us it was a waste of time going to the training. Still, when the project succeeded, they wanted to be part of it”Maryam, Deir ez-Zor
