A spotlight on the voices of women in business

In Tunisia, only three out of 10 women are in the labour market. In 2023, unemployment among women in Tunisia was around 22.2 per cent compared to only 13.8 per cent among men.

Tunisian women entrepreneurs face several challenges, and are often constrained in accessing necessary tools and support to survive and succeed. The ILO SCORE Programme has been working with Tunisian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) since 2019 to address this, and promote gender-inclusive work environment, productivity and decent work. Almost 43 per cent of SCORE trainers and nearly 40 per cent of certified trainers in Tunisia are women. To date, about 11,500 staff members from 187 SMEs have participated in SCORE Training in Tunisia, of which 60 per cent are women. In fact, 72.5 per cent of all SMEs trained have both men and women on their Enterprise Improvement Teams since SCORE Training, ensuring improved participation and representation of women.

Here, we introduce you to three exceptional women entrepreneurs who have been a part of SCORE journey in Tunisia and have gone on to creating their own path to success.

Neila Ben Hadj Yahia, Founder of Société Yahia Confection (SYC)

Neila has been fascinated with fashion and fabrics, a passion she inherited from her father. Soon after joining her family textile business, Neila faced financial difficulties. Instead of giving up, she decided to transform this ordeal into an opportunity. With determination and steadfast support from her family, she set up her own company, Société Yahia Confection (SYC) in 2010. Guided by her commitment to quality and her respect for Tunisian know-how in the Tunisian textile industry, Neila has won prestigious partnerships with leading international brands. As an entrepreneur, Neila doesn't just direct from the sidelines. She spends her days supervising the production line and providing key technical support to her team of workers.

The ILO SCORE programme has played an essential role in SYC's success, providing Neila and her company with an opportunity for growth. Thanks to SCORE Programme’s assistance in understanding the ISO 9001 standard's requirements, conducting gap analyses to identify areas for improvement, and developing action plans to address deficiencies, SYC was able to achieve ISO 9001 version 2015 certification, a key indicator of the company’s commitment to quality management and improvement. In addition to this, the company also undertook several initiatives to identify customer needs, improve product and service quality, and create a quality assurance culture and procedures to deal with quality problems as a team. Through the 'Workplace Cooperation' and 'Quality and Continuous Improvement' modules, SYC also prioritized measures to improve competitiveness with a focus on continuous improvement and increased participation of workers and managers alike.

SCORE Training helped me achieve a lot of things. From expanding my enterprise to building my capacity to explore new markets, I have gained a lot of new information and skills to further my professional goals and decisions."

Neila Ben Hadj Yahia

Taheni Ben Mansour, Instructor at a textile and clothing company

Taheni began her career as a freight forwarder for a clothing company, but when the winds of change blew in Tunisia's revolution, her career took an unexpected turn. The company she worked for closed down, leaving Taheni to face the uncertainty of unemployment. To overcome this challenge and strengthen her knowledge, she participated in a training course in textiles and clothing. In 2017, she joined a clothing company where she learned and honed her skills, which soon led to her promotion to production line supervisor. Over the years, Taheni has pushed the boundaries of her skills to become a fashion designer, and she aspires to start her own business in the future.

Taheni reflects on her journey with the SCORE programme, in particular with her dedicated trainer, Madame Souhir. Implementing the SCORE Training modules on workplace cooperation, gender equality and business continuity planning, Souhir provided personalized guidance and tailored support. Under her mentorship, Taheni strengthened her communication skills, set a strategic direction for her new business, identified several practical workplace cooperation projects, and put in place systems to measure improvements. SCORE workshops on building customer bases, cash flows and managing workforce improved her confidence in preparing for future disruptions, enabling her to make significant strides achieving her professional goals. Focus on voice equality, inclusive hiring, and equal pay for work of equal value, workplace environment, and work-life harmony highlighted the need for striking a balance between productivity growth and business sustainability, and strengthened her technical skills to proceed in her industrial career of textile. Taheni is grateful for the guidance she received from the SCORE Training, which has played a pivotal role in her journey of growth and achievement.

Souhir Kchaou, Certified SCORE trainer

Souhir, an engineer by formal education, is a consultant in Tunisia’s textile industry. As a Certified SCORE trainer and SCORE Tutor at CETTEX - SCORE Tunisia’s implementation partner, Souhir helps women realise their full potential. Having faced gender-based stereotypes and discrimination first-hand, she understands the challenges and barriers to success for women, both professionally and personally. SCORE Training has given her new tools, a heightened awareness of women's needs and a platform to support them as they climb the ladder to success. On her way to becoming a SCORE Expert Trainer, Souhir has trained more than 10 SMEs to date who, thanks to her dedicated efforts, have made significant progress in productivity and waste management.

For Souhir, SCORE Training is not just a means to acquire new skills, but a source of motivation. She believes in the potential of Tunisian women, who make up half of society, and is determined to help them realise their dreams and transform Tunisia's economic and social landscape. Her story is a celebration of inner strength, perseverance, and female solidarity where women supporting women leaves an impact.

The success stories of Leila, Taheni and Souhir provide an insight into the challenges and triumphs faced by Tunisian women in the world of work. In this context, the SCORE Programme is playing a crucial role in providing important tools, knowledge, and resources to not only strengthen skills and capacities, but also foster a more inclusive and equal working environment. Investing in women is investing in a fair, competitive, productive and sustainable future for Tunisia.

For more information on SCORE Programme in Tunisia, please visit our website. In case of questions, please reach out via email at scoretunisia@ilo.org.