DURA, West Bank – GROWING up in a traditional society, Abeer Abu Ghaith was often told a woman’s future is in her husband’s kitchen. Quietly, the 29-year-old proved everyone wrong.

Abu Ghaith has become the first female high-tech entrepreneur in the West Bank, setting up an Internet employment brokerage and software development firm. Last month, the Palestinian trailblazer was recognized by regional high-tech leaders as a recipient of the Women in Technology Awards in the Middle East and Africa for 2014.

Abu Ghaith has put in 16-hour days, showing how the local IT and communications sector can transform the lives of other women by giving them access to jobs and financial independence. Some say the sector, the most vibrant in an otherwise stagnant economy, could double in size over the next five years and employ thousands more.

Palestinian women already make up a majority of students in many colleges and universities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, but often have trouble transitioning into the job market. After they graduate, the traditional gender expectations usually kick in — that they should get married first and worry about a career later.

Those determined to work face a tough job market with double-digit unemployment and employers who often prefer male applicants still seen as the main breadwinners. Job choices are further constricted by family concerns that a young woman’s reputation could be tarnished if she returns home late from work or has to travel for the job. Only about 20 per cent Palestinian women work outside the home, compared to nearly 70 per cent of men, according to the International Labor Organisation.

“Palestinian women face a lot of challenges,” said Abu Ghaith, the second-oldest of nine brothers and sisters, speaking at her family home in the town of Dura, one of the most conservative areas of the West Bank. “We have plenty of qualified women in my area who have no access to jobs.

Abu Ghaith graduated from the Polytechnic University in the nearby city of Hebron in 2007 and still works for her alma mater as a career counsellor for IT students.

Last year, she set up her company, StayLinked, which serves as a talent broker between Palestinian freelancers and businesses in need of services, such as translation, data entry, graphic design, online marketing and website development. Customers include companies in the U.S. and in Gulf countries, she said.

Abu Ghaith has three business partners, including a female friend, a male expert in IT training and a company that offered advice in the early stages. The two women pooled their savings to contribute to US$30,000 in start-up costs and control 70 per cent of the business.

So far, StayLinked has generated several thousand dollars in business — Abu Ghaith won’t say exactly how much — and has provided paid employment for about 40 freelancers, half of them women.

The company hasn’t turned a profit yet, but Abu Ghaith said that’s in line with expectations. The past year has shown that the business model works, she said, hoping to expand significantly in 2014.