The Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association (Asala) is a Palestinian development organization that contributes to the empowerment of Palestinian women with lower income to enable them to change their economic and social conditions.
Our Vision: Effective and successful participation of Palestinian women in economic and social activities.
Summary: The Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association, Asala, was established in 1997 to provide services that help women in poverty change their lives, their social position, and their future by enabling and encouraging their successful participation in sustainable economic activities. Asala envisions an entrepreneurial Palestinian woman who is capable and influential in a democratic, socially just society.
In 1997, Asala began providing micro loans to marginalized Palestinian women. Since then, it has provided 29,873 loans totaling 35,513,900 USD to Palestinian women entrepreneurs, and, to be able to provide services to these women locally, it has established 9 strategically located field offices throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In 2008, Asala expanded its scope with a comprehensive needs-based package of nonfinancial services and tools, which have reached tens of thousands of marginalized Palestinian women entrepreneurs.
In November 2014, in order to comply with changing Palestinian laws for financial institutions, Asala established itself as two separate legal entities: Asala for Credit and Development and Asala, The Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association. Asala, The Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association, continues to operate as an NGO addressing the main challenges faced by Palestinian women, while Asala for Credit and Development will provide financial services to women as a company. The NGO continues to leverage the services of the micro financial institution while operating on three main tracks to help poor women improve their social and economic rights
