Jasmine has supported 11,000 entrepreneurs so far, 4500 of them are Jewish and Arab women who have established new businesses, 53 of them are a cadre of economic leaders and 80% of Jasmine’s women have strong business relations. Here are the numbers behind the leading organization of social and economic change in Israel!
How did Jasmine manage to create a strong and sustainable female economic leadership, strengthening women and promoting them, while leading social and economic change? Jasmine’s Founder and CEO, Kiram Baloum, who has been leading its activities in the past decade, says that change is happening with every single step and every day in various ways, all aiming towards the same goal and creating a system of change. “Jasmine is an organization specializing in promoting and developing businesses owned by women of all sectors in Israel. Jasmine’s method is building and operating designated programs for its audience- for financial independence. Through this, Jasmine promotes a professional female economic leadership, strengthening women in Israel and paving their way to success”, says Baloum.
The numbers behind Jasmine’s success
Throughout the years, Jasmine has succeeded in leading change in the public dynamics, public supply chain, integration of women in leading positions and implementing programs and services for promoting women in businesses from all sectors and populations.
“this is a complex formation and we address a variety of needs”, explains Baloum, “social change means first and for most that we are here for all women in Israel, Arab, Jewish, religious, immigrants, those who are from different socio- economic status and different mentalities. These solutions ae given to all sectors and it’s our way to establish a wide economic female leadership, in the general sphere. Also, this is a perception. Jasmine promotes business relations among Jewish and Arab business women due to its profound belief that this will lead to a shared life and peace in Israel”.
Training 11,000 women, establishing a cadre of economic leaders and joining leading business men and women!
In order to understand the scope of Jasmine’s activities and success, one should know that during 2007- 2018, the organization has supported and promoted 11,000 women entrepreneurs, owners of businesses and job seekers, and helped most of them escape financial restrains and led them into the labor market!
Through this, Jasmine established and trained 53 female economic leaders, 21 of them integrated as directors in public and governmental companies. “This is how we create ripple effect of female leadership. These women can influence decision- makers and promoting women in businesses”, explains Baloum, “nonetheless, we bring on experts and influential people along to promote Jasmine’s women”. So far, Jasmine has brought over 85 leading business men and women to support its agenda and vision, and they are all engaged in Jasmine’s programs serving as mentors and accompanying women in developing and empowerment.
About the model behind creating this cadre of female leaders, Baloum says: “Jasmine’s model includes establishing the basics of creating new businesses, developing them and expanding them and their profits. With this, we pull women upwards. The next step after leading them to the top of the pyramid is to make them strong female leaders, each in her own way and her own area. In fact, these leaders must have an influence on their surroundings, their society and the country, in order to promote other women in business”.
About 5800 businesses have expanded!
Jasmine creates women power by investing resources in assisting surviving businesses. It has been successful in saving and pushing forward businesses owned by women which were on the edge if closing, and in numbers, 5800 businesses have expanded and increased 20% in their annual income, and 10% have physically expanded.
50% Arab and Jewish entrepreneurs established new businesses and 700 integrated in the labor market!
Another impressive data is that almost 50% of these women, about 4500 Arab and Jewish entrepreneurs from all over Israel established new businesses! But this is just the beginning. Is we look on areas of financial empowerment that Jasmine seeks to give these women, then it promotes pay- check employees as well, leading them to financial stability and independence. This is how Jasmine has succeeded in training and integrating 700 women, mostly from the Arab community, as pay- check employees in the labor market!
Over 500 diverse businesses in WeSource!
WeSource is a unique initiative led by Jasmine, aiming to integrate diverse businesses as suppliers of major companies. “WeSource aims to strengthen the developing businesses”, says Baloum about the idea behind the initiative, “this is why we conducted a market survey, managed round tables with VP’s and supply managers in companies together with 25 diverse businesses. We studied their needs and saw that WeSource is a viable solution and is in high demand from both sides.
These are businesses owned by women, minorities, located in the periphery area, social businesses, green businesses, blue- white businesses, local businesses and those employing excluded populations. The businesses must comply with different criteria, such as an experience of 3 and more years, employing 3 or more employees and an annual budget of 30,000 NIS- 500,000 NIS. Some major companies have been presented with WeSource and 8 of them started a procedure of drafting work plans and changing their purchasing methods and adjusting procedures, all to promote the cause of helping these businesses and preventing them from closing. “this is a business and social cooperation aiming to prevent closure of businesses as a result of their location far from the center”, says Baloum explaining that each year 45,000 businesses close down, and 50,000 open.
About 80% of Jewish and Arab women created business relations!
One of Jasmine’s major success is its ability to bond and connect people, women from all sectors and create business relations. “we make bonds and ties that empower the relations between Arab and Jewish entrepreneurs from all sectors”, says Baloum, “they learn together, they meet and build relations which eventually become stable business relations”.
The result says it all- 80% of Jasmine’s graduates from different sectors- created business and social relations, built upon a mutual business interest.
“the overall goal of Jasmine’s activities is to create a shared life and shared relations between Arabs and Jews in Israel, through business and economy”, says Baloum.
She also explains that the idea of business relations is base upon strong business ties: “the common ground is the economic interest of every woman to promote her business. This generates business ties that will bring shared life
“the change that we are creating will influence generations to come. Women want peace, a stable economy and a healthy society, hence they are leaders of change. We are building a better society, connecting people and genders, developing a more equal place out of believing that women power can bring change. If we don’t do this then we will end up with a low- income society, lack of financial insurance, poverty and more social gaps. We must build financial stability and create a common business ground among all sectors. According to our vision, Jasmine promotes women who encourage a shared life and peace, those who have no ego or demands. We promote these women, pull them upwards and encounter them with other strong women- leading to a true stable bond”.
To the question, how did Jasmine manage to create an unprecedented success, there is only one answer: listening. Baloum: “what is special about Jasmine is its professional ability to listen to the needs and challenges in the field- and though this building and operating models and programs nationally as a way to address these needs, by accompanying and executing these programs, reaching goals and making successes”.
Kiram’s message to women: “our pride is your doings- don’t let your business manage you- you manage it”.