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Why the Middle East Is a Good Place For Women Tech Entrepreneurs
pbahra writes "Conferences for start-ups and entrepreneurs often feature 'pitch contests,' slots in which aspiring entrepreneurs take to the stage to sell their ideas to the audience. Last month's ArabNet conference, held in the Lebanese capital, was no different. What was different, however, was the number of pitches from female entrepreneurs. The stereotype has it that women in the Middle East are subjugated, oppressed and barely let out of their houses. But if that is the case, how come 40% of the pitches were from women—a higher percentage than is typical in equivalent conferences held in Europe? Nor was this closer-to-equal representation of women unique to ArabNet--other conferences in the region boast similar ratios."
How many of them still had their clitoris?
The opposite of progress is congress
Women driving has been a controversial issue in Saudi Arabia since 1990 when 47 women got into 14 cars and drove on to a main street in Riyadh. They were stopped, suspended from work for two years and condemned for years in religious sermons and social circles....
honestly
Beirut isn't very Arab. It's close to 40% Christian.
HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
The stereotype has it that women in the Middle East are subjugated, oppressed and barely let out of their houses.
In Saudi Arabia, that's *not* just a stereotype. Not to say that Saudi Arabia is representative of the entire region. But let's not pretend that more pitches from women at some conference makes it okay for one of the largest countries of the region to still tell women they can't drive, vote, show their faces in public, or even leave their house without male escort.
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
Both may be true -- that this conference was friendly to women running startups, and also that women in many parts of the Middle East are drastically subjugated versus women in at last European and American countries. Who wrote this summary, anyway, and with what agenda?
TFA answers the question: "Home working also allows women to combine their traditional roles of homemaker and mother, with being an entrepreneur. " So they are able to fulfill their expected roles. Also, "...most of the female entrepreneurs at the conference were young and had spent time in Europe, the U.S. or Australia." Many of them have more permissive families.
Don't forget get being beating, raped and even murdered with the tacit approval of the society and the law.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
I'll bet they'd be in an even better position if they were in countries/cultures where they didn't have to worry about being stoned to death and could drive themselves to meetings. But that's just me.
Middle Eastern men still rule the household, which means their women have no rights. So being a businesswoman is not incongruous with other aspects of their lives, such as not being able to drive, or vote, or attend school. I'm sure many women from the Middle East are excited about expressing their limited freedom through entrepreneurship.
However, not enough people call Islamists on their bluff - it was never God's will to subjugate women, no matter what their ridiculous heretical Mohammed said or wrote. Slavery is in the mind, and until women around the globe are free to do whatever the hell they want, whenever they want, and however the way they please, they'll still be slaves to men.
Remember kids, if you're not paying for the service, YOU ARE THE PRODUCT THAT IS BEING SOLD.
This article should be titled "Why is the Middle East a Good Place for Female Tech Entrepreneurs?", instead of the current title. The current one suggests that there would be an immediate answer.
Its called the internet. They are stuck at home. And while the husband is off doing his thing, they are online. I know their countries block and monitor and filter, but just like any reasonably intelligent person can do, they're finding some level of freedom and gaining power through the power of the internet. So, that mage you've been flirting with really isnt a 40yo male living in the basement of his parents home. Its a hot middle eastern house wife just waiting to having her inner animal released. ;)
If it weren't for Hizbullah and other lovely features of Lebanon, Lebanon would be at peace with the regions startup powerhouse, Israel. Where women actually have full political and legal rights.
Holding up a conference where 40% of the people pitching ideas for capital, as the "usual" case throughout the arab world is either mind numbingly naive, or profoundly disingenuous. It is precisely because women have so few rights, see Saudia Arabia, Yemen, Gaza, ... for example, that this is unique.
It doesn't make this bad. Actually this should be encouraged. Along with more educational opportunities for women. And more options for their entering the work force. And more maintaining control and responsibility for their own lives and health, including their reproductive health. These things are known to help elevate 3rd world countries quality of life, and increase all aspects that you and I might call "good things" in society, including tolerance, democracy, etc.
But with militant islam on the march, taking over whole countries in the ME, one should despair of these hard won gains in any society that demands women "take the veil". Progress is about to be walked back, in an alarming way, throughout the recent "arab spring" countries.
Its a matter of perception. The ME is viewed, apart from Israel, as being largely a backward and hostile place for women. And this is because, in reality, it is the rule that it is a backward and hostile place towards women, rather than the occasional exception you indicated. Lebanon, apart from the 800 pound gorilla in Hizbullah, should be as peaceful and prosperous as Israel, and should be friendly with Israel, so it wouldn't surprise me to see more women in startups and trying to pitch startups ... as is done in Israel. But Lebanon, like many of the other states in the region has these various 800 pound gorillas. Progress is on hold until they are put out to pasture, and their influence wanes.
Worse than using sa to characterize the region is doing so with Lebanon.
Hillary Rosen specifically.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
Just don't move in a car, or without male escort, or without wearing a head-to-toe burqua.
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
I guess we misunderstand all the demonstrations, burning effigys of Obama, US flag and all. They are really trying to say we love you Americans!
Lets get this over with... Fuck Off
According to summary, 40% of applicants were women. What percent of the accepted submissions were women? That would be a far mare significant statistic!
Chaos maximizes locally around me.
And the videos of women being buried up to their chests and stoned...that was all ketchup I guess.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
Women is Saudi Arabia can't vote, drive, leave their houses without male escort, show their faces uncovered in public, or participate in pretty much any civic or legal function without approval of their male guardian.
So, which of those statements is the western media lying about?
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
A female VP from a major defense contractor was made to wait outside a contract signing not too long ago. A male subordinate sat at the event in her stead.
And that's supposedly the way women can be treated by the business classes. I certainly would think twice before I subjected myself to such a culture. If you can be a successful entrepreneur, you would provably also succeed in a much more favorable culture.
Out of modpoints but really liked a post? 1BDkF6TtmmeZ3yqXbz9yhdYVqRYnwFoXDj
They better hope that oil lasts forever. Because that's about the only thing that makes anyone want to do business there now.
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
The article stressed how the women in Saudi Arabia could "Work from home". It neglected to say that the almost have to since they aren't allowed in public without a male relative around.
The part where one country is not an entire continent sized region or representative of a globe spanning religion.
Also Women is Saudi Arabia can vote and run for office, historically they could not (like everywhere 100 year ago).
Also there is nothing in the law about leaving the house. Particular families might practice that but you would have to look for statistics to see how prevalent, if at all, that it is.
As for face coverings, yes Saudi Arabia practices that but most Arad nations outright ban the practice and the consensus is that that practice is a mistranslation and is only practiced by fanatics.
So what is that? 2/5 complete lies, and the rest exaggerations [some of them so extreme as to have no sliver of truth] (particularly if you look at them as accusations against all Arabs).
You can find crazies, fanatics, and hate filled individuals in all countries and religions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church).
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
In Saudi Arabia, that's *not* just a stereotype.
It is the stereotype. Please educate yourself on the meaning of the word. Being a stereotype does not mean that it's a misconception.
But let's not pretend that more pitches from women at some conference makes it okay for one of the largest countries of the region to still tell women they can't drive, vote, show their faces in public, or even leave their house without male escort.
And let's not pretend that the article is suggesting that it's OK for women not to drive, vote, etc. Your comment is essentially the same as responding to any positive aspect of the US with "Yes, but let's not pretend it makes it OK for them to invade other countries."
And oh, BTW, name one Arab country that bans women from showing their face in public (with citation). I happen to have lived in Saudi Arabia, and most women don't cover their face in public. And not all of them had male escorts.
Beetle B.
And that's supposedly the way women can be treated by the business classes. I certainly would think twice before I subjected myself to such a culture. If you can be a successful entrepreneur, you would provably also succeed in a much more favorable culture.
What you say is true, but a few decades ago women enterpreneurs often faced similar exclusion in the US in the business world. Thankfully, that didn't stop people from investing in the US. And thankfully, it won't stop them from doing so in the Middle East.
Beetle B.
Subjugated, oppressed and stuck in basement? Sounds like a true geek to me!
I jest, but I think this is actually partly true.
I know an insanely talented female programmer who grew up in the states but was moved to Saudi Arabia around age 13. What did she do all day? Sit on her computer. A couple thousand hours of C+ later and she's back in the US getting a CS degree, on her way to a prime spot at MIT Media Lab. Key point: locked in basement for long periods of time = good at programming. Refused offline political and commercial freedoms = good at Internets.
The other reason this happens, of course, is that our perceptions of the Middle East are based on a mash of cable news, Pentagon spin and CounterStrike, which are - surprise! - largely false. Pakistan has elected a female president; the US hasn't.
Compiled for the UN by the Arab world's friendliest own Arab economists and technicians. The Arab world is at or near the bottom, for the entire world, in terms of literacy, education, technical proficiency, intellectual property creation, research and development, internet penetration, media penetration, social and media freedom, contract law, technical small business start ups and technology transfer. Below the levels of much of Africa and SE Asia. Culturally, the exclusion of women, minorities only speaks to part of it. It really has to do with a historical tradition of abandoning everything the West had to contribute since the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. If you want a Turkish -centric history of this read "What Went Wrong?" by Bernard Lewis.
Also Women is Saudi Arabia can vote and run for office, historically they could not (like everywhere 100 year ago).
No, they can't. They MAY be allowed to in 2015, if the King keeps his promise.
Also there is nothing in the law about leaving the house.
Arguing the technically on de jure vs. de facto practices went out here in the U.S. back when segregationists used to argue that TECHNICALLY in the LAW there was nothing stopping blacks from voting in the South. The reality is that women walking around without a male escort in Saudi Arabia are banned from all businesses and are subject to beating by the religious police there. But don't take my, or the evil western media's, word for it. Read the United Nations Report on the subject (part III, section D).
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
When you wear a burka no one can see your ugly nerd-face.
You mean someone in Saudi Arabia can decide to run for a few small potatoes offices and then only if they get approval by the central government which just happens to not approve very many women.
It doesn't matter what's in the law if most men in Saudi Arabia will not allow their women to leave the house unescorted.
That fact that face covering demanded by men is permitted is ridiculous, honor killing is winked at, child brides are aok, the whole region seethes with inhuman customs. Stop trying to white wash them.
Where the West has one Westboro, in the Mid-East it is the norm. Trying opening a Jewish temple or a Christian Church in Saudi Arabia. Try telling them Muhammad was wrong on anything, see how reasonable they are towards you. In the West, that sort of freedom is enshrined, in the Mid-East, killing you for insulting Islam is considered a good thing.
"No, they can't. They MAY be allowed to in 2015, if the King keeps his promise."
2015 is the next election. No one can vote when an election is not being held.
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
As ar as I know, Hezbollah is military force which is not very concerned about modesty issues etc, unlike so called Jewish Talebans:
Female circumcision is an African tribal custom, not Middle Eastern. It is now associated with Islam since most of the area was conquered by Muslims,. Muslim rulers generally let the locals continue their customs, and a lot of conversion was a converted king who told his populace to convert, but didn't dare risk rebellion by abolishing popular customs such as this. Arguments still continue as to whether it's an acceptable practice under Islam.
First, we need to separate personal choice from law or enforced custom.
A tiny percentage of Christians still practice strict biblical Christianity (believe gays should be put to death, women wear head covering in church, etc.), and NONE of them are able to put that into law to force others to obey their interpretation. In fact, they're generally laughed at or condemned by the society at large -- see the Westboro Baptists.
A large percentage of Muslims still practice strict Quranic Islam, and many of them have it in law and enforced custom to force others to obey their interpretation. People are constantly jailed, beaten and even executed for violating these religious laws.
There is a BIG difference in practice between Christianity and Islam.
People have been studying the Bible with this view for quite a long time. However, this has only recently started to happen with the Quran and Hadith, and such a thing should not be done in a Muslim country if you value your life. The Quran is still considered the absolute, unchanging, infallible Word of Allah by most adherents. That and Hadith form their law. If gays were to be put to death then, they are to be put to death now. Allah's law does not change.
Happens in Iran, I think you can see videos on youtube.
Unlike any Christian society, you can be executed in Iran, or Suadi, for: whichcraft, apostasy, blasphemy, homosexuality, and many other such "crimes." Amputation, lashing, and other such barbaric punishments are also quit common - even for children.
Woman also get punished, even executed, for the crime of being raped.
Also, in Iran, children as young as nine years old can be executed.
Yes the old testimate, and the Koran have a lot in common. But nobody lives in a theocracy where the old testimate is the law of the land.
Freedom isn't to do whatever you want to do, it's to do what you ought to do
--Rick Santorum
Note to the wise, if you're going to split with your wife try to make sure she has a job that makes nearly as much as you.
Or better yet, don't be a moron, grow a pair of balls, and don't be a stupid ass by marrying a stupid bitch who's going to take you to the cleaners.
I see this shit getting start every single day, at frat parties. I live in a college town and see all the dudes with ZERO game "somehow" "get lucky" and hook up with some decent looking chick who is going to college at a tech school for "business administration" and is clearly desperate as fuck to get out of this small town. Women have an extraordinary ability to rationalize themselves into this type of arrangement where they "think" they're happy....until they're not. It isn't until 3-4 years later that her mind and heart starts to wander, and by then she's probably got him cowering in a corner and bending to her every will.
The cure to this is to develop actual value and confidence in that value.....then after marrying a woman of equal or [i]lesser[/i] value, work to maintain your value instead of sitting on the couch getting fat and nasty, and guess what???? If you do your fucking homework and pick the right girl, you'll never have a problem with a stupid bitch taking you to the cleaners!
If you piss on the Bible or Torah, please post results.
If you piss on the Quran, please designate someone to post results for you after your demise.
The bit where they say Western countries support democracy. Saudi Arabia is the West's closest Arab ally.
Work like no one is watching. Dance like you've never been hurt. Make love like you don't need the money.
Seriously... When will people learn to distinguish between genes and religion? Oh, and let's not forget language: Muslims don't necessarily speak Arabic and some non-Muslims speak Arabic or a language that stems from it (I'm thinking about Maltese for that last one).
"The body may heal, but the mind is not always so resilient." -- Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The goal of these Christians as they see it is to prevent the murder of unborn children. The goal of the Muslims is to subjugate the women, protect the honor of the paternalistic family. This isn't even near the subject of hanging a woman for being raped. "Christians are just as bad" is total bullshit, and you know it. They may have been five hundred years ago, but the religion has advanced and lost state power almost everywhere.
Full disclosure: I am an atheist and against these laws.
BTW, as an atheist in a Christian theocracy, I may be not be considered a full citizen. In a Muslim country I'm fair game to kill if I don't convert, I don't even have that ostensible "people of the book" protection.
For a tolerance barometer, take the state of Jews in the Middle East and North Africa when under the power of Muslims. Under the Ottoman Caliphate they were treated with general civility, even allowed to immigrate and buy territory (much of it in present-day Palestine, fairly purchased). They lived pretty much unmolested.
Now the only place in the Middle East and North Africa where there is any appreciable population of Jews is in Israel, and current-day Muslims are trying to destroy that. Elsewhere there are fewer than one percent left, driven out by the ever-more tolerant Muslim populations.
Islam needs two things before it can advance: a successful reformation, and to lose state power.