March 8: the Story of Rabaa Humam, Founder of the Cosmetics Brand NOURY
Contrary to popular belief, migration is strongly female. In 2020, women accounted for 51.6% of European migrants. Yet women newcomers are often overlooked when it comes to drawing up migration policies, and are hardly visible in the public arena or in the media. To mark International Women’s Rights Day, SINGA is giving a voice to newcomer women to make their stories visible, so that they can take possession of the public arena and highlight the projects they have launched.
Rabaa Humam is a Yemeni entrepreneur and winner of the 2023 SINGA Awards.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Rabaa. I come from the south of Yemen, from a town on the Arabian Sea called Aden, and I’m passionate about all things natural, like slow food, natural make-up and respect for the environment.
When did you arrive in Switzerland, and from which country?
I arrived in Geneva in 2015. When the civil war started in my country, I fled with my family to the first place we could go, Saudi Arabia. Afterwards, we were lucky enough to join my brother here, who had already been living in Switzerland for several years, thanks to the family reunification policy.
What were the main difficulties you encountered when you arrived?
Even though I was very well received and supported by the Swiss authorities, and by my brother of course, I found it difficult to find a job because of my residence permit. The N permit doesn’t give employers much confidence because it’s a temporary permit. What’s more, I can’t work for a company that’s registered outside the Canton of Geneva, so my options and chances of being recruited are more limited.
Do you think these difficulties were exacerbated by the fact that you are a woman?
I know that in Switzerland women and men have the same right to work and people shouldn’t discriminate between the two, but from time to time I wonder whether perhaps the fact that I’m a woman, and a veiled one at that, has prevented me from finding a job. I’m not sure, but in any case I’m someone who likes to keep active, so since I arrived I’ve passed the time by working as a volunteer at the Geneva Red Cross and the Université Populaire du Canton de Genève. This would allow me to stay active and, at the same time, take care of my mother who needed my support every day.
How did you come up with the idea for your entrepreneurial project?
Two of my friends had been diagnosed with cancer, and they told me about their fears about using skincare products because they contain synthetic chemicals that can be harmful. At the same time, I began to remember my time in Yemen, my mother’s friends who had faces that radiated beauty and freshness and most of them were healthy well into old age, and this was thanks to natural beauty recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation in Yemen. I wondered why I shouldn’t try to create my own line of natural cosmetics inspired by traditional Yemeni recipes? That’s where the idea for NOURY came from.
How has SINGA helped you?
Starting with SINGA was an important step in my life. With their guidance, their sessions, the experts they connected me with, and the processes they facilitated for me, they helped me to flourish. I had just lost my mother when I started with SINGA and was feeling a bit lost in life. In just seven months, they really changed my life. I regained my self-confidence and found myself again.
To find out more about SINGA Switzerland: @singaswitzerland
What are you most proud of today?
I am most proud of winning the SINGA Awards 2023 for my project. The fact that I was chosen and that my work was recognised by experts was confirmation of all my efforts and of everything I had learnt in a short space of time. The award has helped to boost my self-confidence and given me more motivation to pursue my goals and give my all to my project and my future business. This prize is a source of personal and professional pride for me and is NOURY’s first achievement.
What are your dreams and plans for the future?
I dream that NOURY will be a big cosmetics brand one day, and to find it branded in the biggest and most beautiful shops all over the world. I also dream of being able to work with my family and friends, and to be able to give them a livelihood and the inspiration to follow their own dreams. In addition, I dream of employing women like me who are very capable but who perhaps haven’t been recognised for their individual strengths by our society.
What message would you like to pass on to other newcomer women? If you had any advice for a woman who has just arrived, what would you tell her?
Migration shakes us up, but it can also bring us great triumphs. And the most important thing: no opportunity is going to come looking for us. You have to go and find it.
At SINGA, we work to liberate and highlight the strength and potential of newcomer women. 53% of the people we support are women. By supporting SINGA, you are helping to support and empower hundreds of newcomer women every year, fostering a world where everyone, regardless of gender or background, can flourish and fulfill their dreams!
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Interview as part of SINGA Global’s campaign to raise awareness of International Women’s Rights Day on 8 March 2024.
