This aspect discusses ways of strengthening the internal capacities and capabilities of women resulted from the economic and social empowerment in terms of strength- ening her self-confidence and its impact on her character along with the develop- ment of her self-capacities and self-trust.
6.1.1
Self-Confidence:
economic empowerment and its impact on life and social skills development:
It has been found that loans and enterprises have a positive impact on strengthen- ing the borrowers’ self-confidence. The study shows that, through the focus groups which were held with the borrowers and their families, that most borrowers’ charac- teristics have been changed remarkably as they became more self-confident and they were able break the barrier of shame experienced by many women, especially when dealing with those around them, mainly, when dealing with men outside the family in the practical aspects and within the community framework. This led to raise their self-esteem and sense of safety, develop their skills, and think about the future.
Manal’s father-in-law said that Manal got a loan via the workshop of the borrowers’ families in Hebron: The wife of my son was very shy and after obtaining the loan and her success in the enterprise, she got rid of all her shyness. “
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The loan process and the successful experience witnessed by women borrower have an impact on the borrower’s self-confidence. Indeed, the experience that the borrower, M.M, has undergone starting from the decision to start the enterprise, obtaining the loan, establishment of the enterprise, solving the problems caused by this, success of her enterprise and the economic empowerment, all of that helped her to develop her own capacities and enhance her self-confidence. She says:
“At the beginning, my husband refused the idea of starting up an enterprise as he was afraid of debts. nevertheless, i determined to open a clothes store. now, it is a successful enterprise and i spend from its revenues on my family, it helped me, strengthened my character, and gave me confidence in myself and that i can achieve what i want”
This impact was stressed by the female/male workers of the lending institutions as they confirmed that there is a significant improvement in borrower’s character as her self-confidence was enhanced and their capacities were developed. They men- tioned the borrowers’ names that are following them up within the study sample and how a number of them were shy or did not have enough social skills to talk and present their points of view. However, they agreed unanimously that the enter- prise has enhanced their self-confidence and the ability to debate discuss, ask, and present their points of view.
Based on the interviews conducted with a number of male traders who deal with some women borrowers, they all said they had noticed changes and shifts in these women’s characters in regard with discarding their weakness and shame, having a strong personality, having a good ability to discuss, debate and communicate with others. Additionally, they mentioned their high level of confidence and easiness of dealing with them within the business framework. Furthermore, they stated that these women enjoy high spirit and morale which they did not see at the beginning of their interaction with them, and they noted that they think for the best of their enter- prises and families.
The economic empowerment has increased women borrowers’ high spirits and sense of being safe because they became able to finance themselves and satisfy their financial needs through their work. A woman reported, “My money is in my pocket and i am a decision maker”
In addition, their management and financial skills have been developed as well as they have the ability to re-invest. This has led to the development of their initiative skills to think in their future positively.
Some women borrowers and their families in many of the focus group meetings confirmed that their cognitive and thinking abilities have changed a lot, and that they turn into considering their careers and the future of their children as well as how to develop and expand their enterprises as Mahdia, a borrower says:
“i had the 2000 chickens. frankly speaking, i started thinking why not to in- crease them to be 3 or 4 thousand chickens.”
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Female field workers of lending institutions have confirmed that the borrowers’ proactive and pioneering spirit in terms of their desire to expand their enterprises, study the needs and develop them. All the people of the official economic institutions we met unanimously agreed on that, adding that the enterprises and loans played a great role in improving the women’s character, increasing their knowledge, develop- ing their skills and equipping them with the ability to solve problems. The entire com- munity leaders and local women’s organizations, knowing the women before setting up their enterprises, approved that enterprises promoted women’s self-confidence and changed their characteristics.
The findings of the questionnaire confirmed the above mentioned as 93% of women stressed that the loan changed the borrowers’ characteristics, their self-confidence, and their ability to interact and communicate with the society. In turn, 100% of non- borrowers confirmed that. This similarity was confirmed by the results of the meet- ings and focus group.
One of the borrowers has a sheep breeding enterprise and the enterprise produc- tion satisfies their needs only, and sometimes it generates some money when sell- ing one sheep on a seasonal basis. The son sells the sheep in the market and she has her family and community respect for the success of its enterprise in achieving her family sufficiency. Moreover, the enterprise gave her the ability to increase her community contribution, which increases her community respect, and this is reflected in increasing her self-confidence. The case represents the case of a lot of borrowers in villages.
This convergence of the findings of the control group, who experienced establish- ing and developing enterprises, confirms what women borrowers interpreted that this support and enhancement have taken place through setting up their enterprise, managing or working in it, through dealing with the rest of the community via market- ing, sales and purchase of supplies processes, through enterprise management and by having cash essential to spend, especially in commercial, professional and serv- ice enterprises. For the agricultural enterprises, which are often family-owned enter- prises, the external dealings and the enterprise management are often the duty of the males in the family (husband or son) and aspects of the support comes through other forms as community contributions.
One of the obstacles to enhancing self-confidence is the husband role. A manager of one of the organizations gave an example of a woman who was prevented by her husband from dealing with social issues as part of her enterprise which adversely affected her character. Female field workers have shown that the husband is some- times a barrier in women’s pioneering and proactive role, as they explained that some of the borrowers’ initiatives had been cancelled by the husband.
As a result, the majority of women developed characteristics that distinguish them even from the man, who owns a productive enterprise, where the all the trad- ers who have been interviewed agreed that women borrower whom they deal with: “Are characterized by honesty, strength, courage, respected character and that the man cannot do what they do.”
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