Empowerment of women is a long cherished aim and various means are employed to reach out to women to help them to attain status, to make free decisions, and live a life of better standard. Empowerment, in no sense, means to ignore home or rebel against values but empowerment is a positive phenomenon for noble cause of a better and respectable life. This positive aim must be and can be attained well within our social values and the end is prosperity and self reliance.

In the present age of lack of resources, inflation, economic depletion, any individual and more so a woman cannot survive a dependent. A home cannot be run without creating income resources and keep on increasing these. A woman without a skill cannot be a good tool to contribute to any field of life and can never be an earning hand. Continue reading ‘Empowerment of Women Through Employment’ »

District Mardan of NWFP in terms of trade and business has a significant position in the province. There exists an untapped potential for the promotion and development of trade and industry. However due to lack of entrepreneurial skill and professional training, the ability of local businesses to flourish and contribute to the economic development is hindered.

CIPE in collaboration with Mardan Chamber of Commerce & Industry organized a workshop on women entrepreneurship development on May 27, 2008.

The business environment for women in Mardan reflects the complex interplay of many factors, which fall into two basic categories. The first category is made up of social, cultural, traditional and religious elements. The second category is induced by the factors of the first component, taking the form of constitutional structures, policy documents, regulatory arrangements and institutional mechanisms. However, women in Mardan do not have access to basic technical training to optimize their potential and generate sources of income. Continue reading ‘Contribution of Women to Economic Growth - District Mardan’ »

The Coalition of Women Business Associations in Romania – CAFA (www.cafa.ro) organized its annual conference - 7^th edition on June 12-13 in Ocna Sibiului, Romania. The event brought together representatives of nine women business associations all over Romania, public officials and media representatives. The conference titled “The Time for Entrepreneurial Courage” provided a forum for discussion of economic issues faced by women entrepreneurs and strategies to address these issues. The guest speakers, representatives of the Ministry of Labor, Family and Social Protection and Ministry of SMEs, Trade and Business Environment, presented some of the support programs available for small and medium sized enterprises in the tourism, manufacturing and services sectors and answered questions about these programs and eligibility criteria. I gave a presentation on CIPE’s recent programs targeting women entrepreneurs.

The second part of the conference included a strategic planning session. CAFA members have agreed to work together in a task force in order to draft amendments to a set of recent public decisions that have a negative impact on company members.  During the strategic session, the associations discussed about the Coalition’s membership base, how to attract new members and how to increase CAFA’s visibility in the public arena. They also decided on a work plan for the next 12 months.

Best regards,
Carmen

We submitted the Women’s National Business Agenda draft to Hon’bl President of the Government of Bangladesh. It was the first time our news was in the national television headlines. The President was happy to see the WNBA draft and he mentioned that it will hep the Govt. to promote women’s entrepreneurship as it has wide information and specific recommendations.

Read the story in the Daily Star: “President Suggests Women’s Chamber in Every District” (May 25, 2009)

Selima Ahmad
President, BWCCI

Entrepreneurship is a collective process to be undertaken at a societal level, rather than an individual effort in the social vacuum. Despite several sincere attempts on the part of the government and civil society, the goal to ensure competitive enterprise continues to remain an unachieved goal. This is due to the fact that merely willingness of an individual entrepreneur was focused whereas the need to ensure meaningful involvement of various social actors was overlooked while implementing programmes aimed at empowering women economically. On the other hand, the potential of various public and private institutions, to support services for women entrepreneurs continues to remain unutilized. Continue reading ‘Established First Women Business Center (WBC): Faisalabad, Pakistan’ »

The challenges to increasing female participation in mainstream economic activity, and the creation of leadership within women entrepreneurs, are manifold. These challenges range from social taboos; conservative lobbies; lack of access to education, information, and finance to discriminatory behaviors by male counterparts, severely inhibiting the ability of women to develop leadership skills and to participate in the policymaking process. Yet another complexity is the non-existent gender focused institutions such as women chambers, which generally act as facilitators in networking, mentorship, and learning opportunities.
Continue reading ‘Women leaders in Pakistan – Reform in Process’ »

Hammad’s latest video reminded me of two other terrific videos of association leaders in Pakistan. Some of you have already seen these perhaps. In November 2007, the Overseas Chamber of Commerce & Industry appointed its first ever woman CEO Unjela Siddiqi. Then in January 2008, Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) appointed Jehan Ara as the first paid woman CEO.

Videos:

Unjela Siddiqi - First woman CEO of a business association in Pakistan

Jehan Ara - First woman president of a business association in Pakistan

Enjoy!
Kim

We have been working with the Lahore Chamber through its partner Uks Radio Production to produce a series of radio programs for women entrepreneurs. This will go on air in mid-May. We took the opportunity to interview Uks team to learn what they experienced in the field.

Watch the Video Interviews

Hammad Siddiqui
Senior Program Manager
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)

Visit the Fourth Global Women Entrepreneurs’ Trade Fair in Accra and do business with African women entrepreneurs; source for alternate closer and highly competitive supplies. Make contacts at this fair with over 500 African women entrepreneurs, the hope for Africa’s economic recovery and development. Visit the fair as an investor, exhibitor, buyer or a resource person.

This event is being organized by African Federation of Women Entrepreneurs (AFWE), and Hosted by Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs (GAWE).

July 23rd - August 2nd, 2009
Accra International Conference Centre, Ghana

Flyer and Registration information

Lucia Quachey

The Honorable Finance Minister, the Honorable Home Minister and the Honorable Governor of Bangladesh Bank promised immediate action and cooperation with the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) in implementing the policy changes outlined in its Women’s National Business Agenda. An unprecedented effort in Bangladesh, the agenda will serve as a powerful advocacy tool for the private sector and shows that the women’s business community is determined to play a positive role in Bangladesh’s democratic and economic development.

Read the press release.

Top Ten Priorities of the Women’s National Business Agenda

Best,
Selima Ahmad
President, BWCCI