Women entrepreneurs get training
MUSCAT: Tawasul’s Mulhimat initiative, a national capacity building programme, concluded on Tuesday at a ceremony presided over by Maryam Issa al Zadjali, member of the State Council.
Mulhimat’, which means ‘inspirational’, is a BP Oman initiative, which gave skills training to 18 women entrepreneurs.
“The Mulhimat programme helped them set performance criteria and measures. We are happy to see that the entrepreneurs are well equipped with the skills that would enable each to put their business forward,” said Shamsa Ahmed al Rawahi, BP Oman’s Social Investment Programme Officer.
During the course of the initiative, the women and their SMEs were assessed, followed by visits to their enterprises. Subsequently, representatives of the programme delivered their assessment results to the entrepreneurs, suggesting improvements for success. These women were engaged in various workshops that covered leadership capacity and proficiency in communication.
Mulhimat offered these women entrepreneurs with a platform to network and build relations with other businesswomen from different areas of expertise. The aim was to develop their leadership skills, knowledge and experience.
The several workshops and the gap analysis assisted them to develop their businesses and services. During the event, an exhibition was held where the entrepreneurs showcased their products and services to the attendees, giving them an opportunity to demonstrate what they and their products are capable of achieving. About 13 Omani SMEs owned by woman participated in the programme.
“We devised this programme to enable Omani women to operate their enterprises successfully. We focused on improving their skills, such as tackling challenges and taking measured risks, taking into consideration the performance criteria. What we sought for through the programme was impressively visible by the development of the participants’ enterprises. It was inspiring to notice how the women implemented their mentor’s suggestions in a short span of time. Mulhimat offered them a chance to form new business connections. We can proudly say that this programme inspired them and us as well,” said Hazim Abdullah, CEO at Tawasul.