Despite turmoil in Middle East, this entrepreneur is providing thousands of jobs there
, according to the latest data from the International Labour Organization. In other regions it is roughly 40%. Fewer than 20% are believed to hold college degrees.
After graduating from Ahlia University in Manama, Bahrain, with a law degree, Al Hassan founded Pinkmoon Assets, a luxury events company. In 2008, while running the company and working as a consultant for the United States Agency for International Development, also known as USAID, she started Tarjama, which quickly grew from two women to 160 full-time employees.
After accepting a bid posted by a freelancer that's a match between the company's budget and the freelancer's qualifications, the two collaborate until the job is done and the writer or translator is paid. In November, Tarjama acquired Captivate Arabia, an audio-visual translation and subtitling agency, to enhance the company's position in the audio-visual translation domain.
As it did for her, remote work has been a game-changer for intelligent, well-educated women in the region who must balance the demands of home and careers. One of the greatest challenges women across the Middle East face, in fact, is achieving work-life balance. Physically demanding work, as well as jobs that require travel or extended hours, amplify the problem.
"I never felt that being a female-led company in this region and culture was an issue for us," said Al Hassan. "It was very difficult in the early days because when customers would hear 'women working from home,' they would say, 'Are you sure? How do you ensure the quality?' That was until they tried the service. Today a lot of customers are great champions of our business and success — they refer us; they invite us to conferences; they believe in us.
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