Over 2,200 Migrant Women Workers in Dubai Financially Trained

DUBAI, UAE, March 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Participants of Western Union's Apna Sapna programme confirm strong increase in commitment to personal financial management    

On the eve of International Women's Day, the Western Union Company marked several significant milestones in their support for migrant workers in the UAE. Free training sessions have been conducted for more than 2,200 women in Dubai's labour camps, participants start defining their financial goals, and a survey reveals how the programme addresses a vital need among them. These announcements were made at Western Union's town hall-styled event held in association with the UAE Ministry of Labour, and attended by financial consultants, media persons, and a representation of migrant women workers.  

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Launched in November 2014, Western Union's Apna Sapna ('Our Dreams' in Hindi and Urdu) is designed to help migrant workers develop skills to manage their finances and plan their future. In the three months since launch, more than 7,000 workers have successfully completed training. As a part of this programme, 2,200 women workers have been trained. Some of the women expressed their newfound confidence when they outlined their financial needs, goals and dreams at the interactive forum - aided and assisted by a panel of consultants and subject matter experts.

Concurrently, Western Union also provided top line results of a survey conducted among some of the women who recently underwent financial training. Almost all participants said the programme gave them the skills needed to plan their finances and support their long terms goals. While prior to the programme 51% of participants were able to save a part of their income, post training 99% of participants said they would be able to make some savings. Among them, the number of participants who plan to save 10 per cent of their monthly salary grew by 50 per cent, and participants who aim to save 15 per cent grew by 400 per cent. "I am a cleaner and I send home two thirds of my salary. It is hard for me to survive, but I am confident that with this training I will manage," said 24 year old Aisha from Kenya. The easy-to-understand training and the accompanying budget tracker were highlighted as the most appealing elements of the programme.