Tamkeen and Bahrain Women Union launch e-Learning programme to empower Bahraini women

Tamkeen In coordination with the Bahrain Women Union inaugurated  the e-learning Training Programme aimed at empowering Bahraini women and improving their skills and knowledge to enable them to further their contributions to the economic and social development programmes in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The IT Literacy programme seeks to train 900 Bahraini women on basic computer skills through courses lasting 60 hours each and 30 hours of career development skills. This is in addition to the e- learning training programme that targets about 5,500 Bahraini women in various work specialisations.

Tamkeen's Human Capital Development Senior Manager, Mrs. Amal Al-Kooheji, commented: "Tamkeen has placed the empowerment of Bahraini women atop its agenda, and cooperates with the concerned authorities to offer tailored initiatives which suit their needs. We hope this ambitious initiative will open new horizons and different opportunities for Bahraini women wishing to enter the labour market, and encourage public and private establishments to benefit from trained women talents and employ women in jobs that suit them and help them gain professional experience."

She said Tamkeen's support of this initiative is an embodiment of societal partnership, as the training project is one of the vital projects of the economic empowerment programme, which seeks to support and train women job seekers and enable them to manage and market their businesses from their homes and so raise the standard of living for their families, ensure family stability, and increase women contribution to the national economy.

Al-Kooheji called on the graduates and all segments of Bahraini society to take advantage of the available training opportunities offered by Tamkeen to build their capacities and achieve self-reliance. She wished women success on family and processional levels.

At the inauguration ceremony, held at the Bahrain Society of Engineers, the second batch of 157 Bahraini women who completed training courses within the “IT Literacy and Personal Skills Development programmes” were awarded. The Bahrain Women Union is offering the two programmes within its Women in Technology project in partnership with the Bahrain Internet Society and Microsoft and with support from Tamkeen.

This brings the total number of women who received training since the project was launched in January 2010 to about 250. They graduated after receiving training by qualified female trainers who themselves had been trained and qualified to be trainers in the labour market. They are now offering training courses within the IT Literacy and Personal Skills Development programmes at the laboratories of women organisations participating in the project.

Tamkeen is a strategic partner of the Supreme Council for Women. It received Her Highness Princess Sabeeka Award for Women’s Empowerment in 2009 in recognition of its efforts and support for women. About 15,000 Bahraini women benefited from Tamkeen's training and financing programmes, including assistance to obtain finance for micro enterprises and women entrepreneurship projects.