Young Jordanian women encouraged to turn culinary arts into a career
Although the number of Jordanian women working in the hospitality sector in Jordan at the moment is small, more women are slowly taking up studies and careers in tourism and hospitality, as it becomes more acceptable to their families and friends and an attractive career option. Dana Al Sabbagh is one such person, and she has taken the first steps to realizing her passion for the culinary arts as she received a scholarship, funded by the USAID/Siyaha, to study for a Diploma in Culinary Arts from Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA).
Currently women make up roughly 10% of the more than 41,000 people working in Jordan’s tourism sector. This proportion is low and there is much scope for improvement, as tourism can offer many great career opportunities for Jordanian women. Throughout its work in various areas of the tourism sector, USAID/Siyaha actively supports greater involvement of women in tourism in Jordan. These efforts include encouraging young women to pursue tourism and hospitality studies and gain the qualifications needed for working in the industry. In 2010 ten young women from around Jordan, including Dana, received scholarships funded by USAID/Siyaha to study at RACA.
Dana’s passion for cooking was supported by her family and two years ago her husband heard about the scholarships being offered to study at RACA, and knowing about his wife's passion for culinary arts, he rushed to tell her the news. "My husband and father really encouraged me to apply and I was amazed by their positive reaction," she said.
Dana is now finishing her final year at RACA and getting ready for her internship, which comes at the end of the diploma program, after which she hopes to find employment in the tourism sector.
"I have wanted to study culinary arts for a long time. Here I have learned that culinary art is a field that reaches beyond cooking; it is based on science and measurements, and is also about adding value and creating a memorable food experience," she explained.
According to RACA Director, Chef Anton Würsch, “The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts’ gratitude is endless towards USAID/Siyaha’s scholarships to its students since we firmly believe that dedicated women like Dana will make a prosperous difference in Jordan’s culinary world. The combination of such support and our academic program will surely result in more women being successful in what is considered to be a highly competitive industry in the region.”
Interest in the hospitality field is increasing among Jordanian youth, including women, and Dana explains, "Many women I know are now considering taking up hospitality education, and when they ask for my opinion I tell them that if they have a true passion to work in hospitality then they should go for it; it's rewarding and offers a variety of promising careers.”
For Dana, she is finally on the path towards her passion, and is eager to gain industry experience and eventually start a business. She says, "I look forward to opening my own restaurant or pastry shop in the future, but before that I need to get enough experience and make some money."
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