Many women who work from home hope to see an organized movement that focuses on their roles in the development process and lets them participate in formulating laws and policies that shape their economic futures. Despite their high hopes, these women are worried that the licensing laws for their businesses could pose obstacles including the imposition of fees, which could add to their financial burdens and disrupt the flow of their work, and delays in getting licenses. Could a new policy regulating work-from-home licenses help create a business environment conducive to supporting the participation of women or could it present a major obstacle by creating lengthy procedures for license applications? A number of citizens called on authorities to facilitate the license requests and remove problems with these procedures; they said those moves would create an attractive investment environment.Facing challenges Female owners of small businesses manage their financial resources; they are their own bosses and they have great abilities, hobbies and talents to produce products they sell. They have worked hard to reach where they are today. Women who work from home face challenges such as providing for their families? economic needs, which have become hard to meet due to the increasing demands of today?s life. The bureaucracy surrounding the license-application procedures worries some work-from-home females, who feel that it might disrupt their work.Profitable returns Mauza Al-Shehri, who works from her home, agreed that there should be regulations to help people like her. ?Work-from-home activities should be regulated based on commercial laws,? she said. ?Such a step would convince women that being a work-from-home female does not mean that you belong to the marginalized category of society. The procedures to apply for a license should be facilitated so we can develop our business activities. There are many work-from-home projects that have been successful and made profits. In order to continue, these projects need privileges and laws to support their development.? ? Support needed Fatmah Mufreh talked about her experience and those of her friends, some of which were frustrating. ?Many of my friends had to stop their projects because they couldn?t find a place to promote their products, nor did they have a chance to meet businesswomen,? she said. ?Added to this, there is a lack of programs to help women start their own small businesses from home,? she said. License fees for these efforts should be low and marketing opportunities should be provided, Mufreh added. ?The products made by women who work from home should be promoted through a business guide and online,? she said. ?Business relationships between work-from-home females and big, national companies should be encouraged.?Problems with procedures Rahma Al-Ghamdi, a work-from-home female, said the requirements to get started have led some people she knows to decide against giving it a try. ?I?ve known a lot of women who decided not to venture into work-from-home businesses due to the lengthy procedures to obtain a license,? she said. ?There should be a mechanism through which work-from-home females can apply for a license online,? Rahma Al-Ghamdi added.Improving income Jameela Abdullah said licenses should also be provided to women who work in the public sector. ?Female public sector employees should be given business licenses to start work-from-home businesses to improve their income,? she said. ?At the end of the day, these employees are citizens who want to participate in developing the national economy.?Helping women Aliya Al-Sehli, a human resources consultant, said supporting these women would have several positive effects. ?Encouraging women?s movements to rally their economic demands is proof of an organized economic movement that deserves encouragement and support in order to continue,? she said. ?We should provide them with an environment conducive to bringing out their creativity. Work-from-home businesses in western countries are added to the Gross Domestic Product because they are based on laws and procedures and they are included in the statistics.?Building confidence Having citizens participate in formulating the policies and laws that determine their economic and social future is a positive step toward building their confidence in their ability to effectively participate in and contribute to this process, Al
