WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN PALESTINE – Thurs 17 June at 6.30pm UK time

Doaa Althalathini
Doaa holds a PhD in Business and Management and is a Lecturer in Business and Enterprise at Oxford Brookes University. Her research focus is on entrepreneurship, resilience, and women empowerment in violent conflict zones, including Palestine. She is interested in leveraging knowledge, networks and experience to address important social challenges, contributing to building sustainable livelihoods and promoting women entrepreneurship in conflict-ridden states. Her most recent publication examines the impact of Islam upon women’s entrepreneurship in conflict zones and the extent to which women’s entrepreneurship is an influential catalyst for liberalising traditionally conservative gender norms.

Majd Mashharawi
A resident of war-torn Gaza, Majd Mashharawi witnessed the acute need for construction materials essential to rebuilding damaged buildings and infrastructure. She founded GreenCake in 2015, a company that creates environmentally friendly bricks from ash and rubble. GreenCake was a runner-up in the annual MIT Pan Arab competition. In 2017 she developed SunBox, an affordable solar system that produces energy to alleviate the effects of the energy crisis in Gaza. SunBox provides electricity to hundreds of people. Ms. Mashharawi received her BSc in Civil Engineering from the Islamic University of Gaza. In 2018 she was selected as one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company and SunBox won the MIT Pan Arab Competition, competing with 6000 entries. Her TED Talk, How I’m making bricks out of ashes and rubble in Gaza, has received nearly 1.3 Million views so far. Last September Ms. Mashharawi and Sunbox were awarded the Muhammed Ali Humanitarian Award by the Muhammad Ali Centre in Louisville, Kentucky.

Salma’s fascination with the intricacy of Palestinian embroidery, with its various patterns, vibrant colours, and different cross-stitch techniques, led her to create Anat International, a slow-fashion streetwear brand and community originating in Gaza. Anat transcends boundaries and breaks norms. Their garments are designed to be worn by all genders and are cut, sown, and hand-embroidered by both women and men. When she researched embroidery, Salma learned that male Palestinian political prisoners picked up the art of embroidery during their time in Israeli prisons. The prisoners would send the gifts they created to their loved ones. Unfortunately, this habit of crafts-making has declined in the past years because Israel confiscates materials (like thread and needles) that the prisoners use.