Scholarships for women in fashion course announced

By Rizwan Khatik - Sun Apr 10, 12:46 pm

Scholarships for women in fashion course announced

JEDDAH: A Women Appreciation Month has been initiated to reflect the message behind the words of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

The king during his interview with American TV station ABC stated: “I believe strongly in the rights of women … my mother is a woman, my sister is a woman, my daughter is a woman, my wife is a woman.”The important meaning behind these words has inspired various organizations to launch programs for the welfare of women. One of them is Femi9, which has taken upon itself the responsibility of spreading the king’s message by celebrating Women Appreciation Month.

“We are granting 30 scholarships in the form of a one-year fashion-design program for women that will include practical experience in a real time fashion design studio. On completion of the one-year training program, we’ll hire the top five students out of the 30 to work as junior fashion designers at the Femi9 in-house design studio. Selection of the 30 candidates for the scholarship will be done online through the Femi9 Facebook fan page,” Eyad Abdullah Mashat, CEO, Fad International and founder of Femi9, told a recent meeting.

Social worker Maha Taher said: “This is a ground-breaking initiative that makes a constructive contribution to women’s employment. The scholarships open a new window for talented women to excel in a field that offers a rewarding outlet for their creativity.”
The event also marked the inauguration of the Femi9 Woman Appreciation Month Recognition Awards for the best women achievers in 2010. The WAM Appreciation Awards include six categories: Best Social Worker; Best Teacher/Lecturer; Best Young Entrepreneur; Best Government Employee; Best Media Personality; and Best Doctor.

Selection of the best profile for each category will be made after an online poll on the Femi9 Facebook fan page. The awards are being presented by Femi9 as an inspiring way of acknowledging and recognizing the important role of women in our lives and in our societyWriter and lecturer Reem Assad said: “The wide spectrum covered by the six categories shows thoughtful and careful selection by Femi9 and will highlight the important role played by women in each of their chosen professions.”

Mashat presented prizes to the Jeddah and Makkah winners of the Femi9 “Who is she?” competition, which was held on Facebook to promote King Abdullah’s message and as an initiative to fulfill Femi9’s responsibility toward women’s welfare. Throughout the month, more than 100,000 scarves featuring King Abdullah’s quote will be distributed. The scarves will be available at all 55 Femi9 stores along with greeting cards for mother, sister, daughter and wife and a booklet about famous women achievers in history.