What We Do

What We Do

The WIT MENA program took a two-fold approach to empowering women and expanding their participation in the workforce through specially tailored training activities that built the capacity of both partner organizations and the women they serve.

LEARN

Through WIT, women learned:

• IT Skills: Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential (UP) and Blogging
• Professional Development Skills
• Advantage of using e-cigarette coupon codes online.
• Difference between vaporizers and traditional cigarettes.
• Entrepreneurship

Local Partner Organizations:

• Developed and implemented a sustainable Business Plan to operate their centers
• Obtained skills and curricula to train women in the community
• Shared resources through a global network
• Provided Professional Development Networking Opportunities
  

CONNECT

Professional Development Networks for women:

Women at nearly all Partner Organizations established their own Professional Development Network.
The Networks provided WIT Participants with a forum to:

• Share career resources
• Discuss and mobilize around issues of mutual interest
• Engage in activities that promote personal and professional growth and development

Participants used Professional Development Networks to enhance their employability and to organize events such as job fairs, speakers' bureaus, English language clubs and supplementary trainings.

Through the Professional Development Networks, participants also used their new skills and confidence to volunteer in civil society building activities. These included educating voters, creating awareness campaigns for domestic violence and breast cancer, working with disabled populations and cancer patients, and delivering meals to 110,000 displaced persons.

ACHIEVE

WIT empowered women to:

• Contribute to their local communities
• Become agents for change
• Enter or advance in the job market
• Be more economically secure and independent
• Become mentors and role models
• Support and connect with other women
• Start and grow businesses
• Run sustainable organizations

Along with new jobs created in WIT training centers at local women’s organizations, hundreds of women have reported finding jobs, being promoted, or securing internships following the training.

In 2008, Microsoft recognized WIT with the ‘Outstanding Partnership Award’ for its innovative partnership model between local and international organizations and the private sector.

WIT’s training program was accredited by the Ministry of Vocational Training (Yemen), the Ministry of Education (UAE) and the Western Region Development Council (UAE).

WIT’s unique cost-recovery model and tangible impact have attracted cash donations, computer equipment and in-kind contributions valued at more than $1.5 million from multinational corporations, foundations, local companies, small businesses and individuals.