Empowering Women

High unemployment in Tunisia is a persistent problem. A quarter of the working-age population is unemployed, with youth unemployment even around 40%. One of the reasons for the growing number of unemployed in Tunisia is that the Tunisian economy cannot provide enough jobs for the rapidly growing number of young people who enter the labor market every year.

Although most women in Tunisia are well-educated, as they have the same access to schools as men, there is still a conservative cultural environment in the southern regions of Tunisia. This reality is reflected in the number of unemployed women. In the southern regions of Tunisia, therefore, the poverty rate is much higher than in the rest of the country.

Therefore, Hilfswerk International supports women in the entrepreneurial sector.

The overall goal is to achieve the socio-economic and digital empowerment of women in southern Tunisia through the sustainability of new (women-led) businesses. This is accomplished by improving the know-how of women entrepreneurs through training and coaching measures, as well as by providing support structures for women entrepreneurs.

The activities include a tailored coaching program consisting of:

• Behavioral diagnostics,
• customized coaching sessions, and
• digital marketing training.

Behavioral diagnostics are conducted to identify the needs of the women entrepreneurs, followed by customized coaching sessions where their strengths and potentials are determined. Additionally, digital marketing training is provided to help the entrepreneurs sell their products better, increase their reach, strengthen their brand, and develop a better understanding of their customers.

This project will work with 40 women entrepreneurs in Southern Tunisia (Tataouine, Kebili, Gabes and Tozeur) who have either started their own businesses, entered into a funding agreement, or opened their projects less than 6 months ago.

Each of the 40 women entrepreneurs will receive a training package tailored to their individual needs. The specific needs of these women are diverse, including the development of initiative, entrepreneurial culture, managerial skills, digital know-how, and personal growth.