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The
Women in Technology (WIT) program
in Yemen has been developed between the Institute of International
Education (IIE) and the SOUL for the Development of Women and
Children and is funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative
(MEPI) in the State Department. It aims to offer the opportunity for
women to train and work in the field of Information Technology, and
to empower them to participate effectively in the development of
their society economically and technically.
Since the program initiation in October, 2005
and until today, the program
has trained more than 1135 women in IT. Because of the successes of
the program in Yemen, the funding agency was encouraged to implement
the program in other countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, Morocco, Bahrain and UAE.
Program Success and Achievements:
Due to the program success in Yemen and its contribution to
improving women’s access to the labour market, the Islamic
Development Bank give the program an award on :
Best Project that Contributes to
Develop Women abilities in the Information Technology field, and
qualifies her to have a better job opportunities. In addition, the
program got the first place in the Business Planning for
Sustainability Contest which was held by Institute of International
Education for all its partners in the region.
Women in Technology
program offers
training courses in the field of Computer
at SOUL Community Learning & Development Center,The UP
curriculum supports Microsoft and international skill standards. In
addition, WIT
Participants attend
Professional
Development Workshops, which
give them the opportunity to gain highly marketable skills
that meet the demand of the labor market.
An integrated
training program in
"How to
start your project and managing it
"
Developed by the Institute of International Education in San
Francisco.
Furthermore, program
participants establish a
Forum for Women in Technology,
which assist participants in getting access to job opportunities;
create a linkage among the
program graduates as well as provide the space for women to discuss
issues of interest, share ideas and opportunities.
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