Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has been active in facilitating and promoting women entrepreneurs since last many years. TDAP has been instrumental in providing impetus to women development in exports by including women development programmes in its seven point strategy.

In continuation of this strategy,Women Exporters Network (WEXNET) is designed as an exclusive platform for women entrepreneurs from all parts of the country to put on display numerous products that they manufacture or market in a thematically classified environment. The idea is to encourage women of the country to come forward and play their due role in the economic development and uplift of the country.

WEXNET 2010, at Lahore had all the necessary ingredients of a successful international level exposition and offered everything which a woman entrepreneur may seek from an interactive platform of the highest profile to extract maximum mileage from the development of their businesses.

Continue reading ‘WEXNET 2010 at the Expo Center, Lahore’ »

This year Central and North Punjab Woman Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CNPWCCI) accoladed women entrepreneurs with Laurels of Honour 2009 for recognition of women extraordinaire  who have achieved remarkable accomplishments in their respective fields. This was the first award ceremony and will go a long way to acknowledge women who have made outstanding achievements in various walks of life, who are role models, who demonstrate initiative and pioneering spirit, who have contributed to the economic advancement of women and the quality of women’s lives in Pakistan.

More than 50 women were honoured at the ceremony from sectors such as banking, SMEs, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT, media, politics, education, beauty, community development, judiciary, art, entertainment, sports, gems and jewelry, construction and housing, services such as health care, hospitals, environment and manufacturing.

Continue reading ‘Laurels of Honour 2009’ »

The Development Finance Support Unit, SBPBSC-Lahore arranged a workshop on the financing issues of Women Entrepreneurs on 9th March, 2010 at SBPBSC Lahore. The purpose of arranging this workshop was to discuss the finance related issues of women entrepreneurs with the senior representatives of banks extending SME finance in the Lahore region. In this workshop, the senior officials from the banking sector, chambers of commerce & industry and other relevant institutions participated and shared their views and experiences.

The unique feature of this workshop was that the women entrepreneurs who have actually faced difficulties in obtaining loans from banks shared their problems particularly with the banks whereas the senior bankers discussed their viewpoint in assessing SMEs for a loan and gave clarification on certain issues. The workshop was conducted in the form of the following presentations delivered by various stakeholders to discuss their points of view on the financial problems of women entrepreneurs/SMEs, the impact of finance on their earnings and policy recommendations.  

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A memorandum of understanding was signed between Central and North Punjab Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNPWCCI) and Pakistan Foundation for the Advancement of Engineering & Technology for poverty alleviation and environmental improvement through technology and entrepreneurship development. The trained and motivated project team has started their work at designated premises, procuring, developing product design and credit lines for the clusters of the needy women. This project will help women to raise their income and improve the environment to attain the Millennium Development Goal of United Nations.

Recycling is an extremely important issue in our world today. It is important for every person to take responsibility for his or her own contribution to the recycling effort. Recycling not only means reusing and restoring our garbage but can also include donating old clothes to charitable organizations, reusing plastic containers to store food in the refrigerator, and many other activities we already participate in. Although recycling encompasses many areas of our lives but paper recycling focuses on our everyday waste products. How to recycle them, if it is a worthwhile cause. Recycling has several effects on the earth such as helping to slow global warming, diminishing acid rain, reducing water pollution, conserving landfill space, and lowering pollutants in the air. Continue reading ‘Joint Project of Poverty Alleviation and Environmental Improvement through Technology and Entrepreneurship Development’ »

Under the patronage of the first lady of Pakistan, Mrs Fouzia Gilani, Central and North Punjab Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNPWCCI) strikes again with the 8th Women Lifestyle exhibition. Central and North Punjab Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CNPWCCI) organized the 8th Women Lifestyle Exhibition on 24th – 25th February, 2009 at Pearl Continental Hotel Lahore. It was a big success.

The 8th Women Lifestyle Exhibition provided the women entrepreneurs and business associates across Pakistan an experience sharing attitude with positive working in specific areas of businesses under the umbrella of CNPWCCI. There were around 65 stalls beautifully decorated as there is always a tough competition to win award for the best layout. The exhibitors were dress designers, embroideries from Bahalwalpur, Multan, D.G.Khan, D.IKhan, Islamabad, NWFP, Home Liner, Islamic Books, Hand made stationary, handicraft, Home Decoration, Synergy drinking water, Health Tea, Women Health Pharmaceuticals products, Artificial Jewelry, Chen-One, Youth Parliament, Event management Companies, Clay artisans, Banks, Pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical companies promoted products on women health issues such as obesity and bone disease. The pharmaceutical companies Help desks were set up throughout the hall. The corporate sectors that got involved were Bank of Punjab and Alfalah Bank. The banks promoted their SME products in a friendly environment of the exhibition. Continue reading ‘Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Conducted the 8th Women Lifestyle Exhibition in Lahore, Pakistan’ »

Under the patronage of the first lady of Pakistan, Begum Fouzia Gilani, Punjab Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PWCCI) has laid the foundations of an Enclave for Women at Meena Bazaar Complex, Liberty Market, Lahore, Pakistan.

Unfortunately, due to lack of education, cultural constraints, most micro women entrepreneurs are deprived of the existing resources to sell their products in the market and get economically involved. This enclave has thus been established in order to assist and promote those micro women entrepreneurs who are deprived from doing direct businesses. Given the dearth of permanent sale point for women entrepreneurs in Lahore, Punjab, this enclave will provide a market place and display centers for women to exhibit and sell their products. This enclosure is rented to the low income earning business women at a meager rate of Rs. 100 per day.

The other major purpose of founding the enclave for women is to encourage people to provide an economic platform for local women entrepreneurs and bridge the gap between the micro women entrepreneurs and retail buyers and eliminate the middlemen. Thus the main objective of opening this enclave is to “empower the women by eliminating the middleman.” Continue reading ‘Enclave for Women in Order to Eliminate the Middleman’ »

Hello everybody,

I would like to share this article “Riyadh’s women’s mall lifts veil on business” with you for your comments on the project as to whether this project is our need today or it’s just one of the Royal Ideas. By the way Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also designed a somewhat similar plaza “Meena Bazaar” for women entrepreneurs. Our idea is to provide low rental shops in the plaza located in a very busy market known as “Liberty market,” in Lahore, Pakistan. The rental will be on the pattern of microfinance i.e, payment of 2 dollars per day inclusive of utilities, security, maintenance etc to encourage small business women and even home based women entrepreneurs to enter seriously into the competitive business market and develop demand based products. This project will further enhance the involvement of the women and assist in women empowerment of the modern Pakistani women.

We tried this earlier about two years ago but did not get the results. This time we have selected the best place in the city and in much more organised manner. Let’s see what results we get. Our targets are to develop women shop owners with their own local market and enter independantly into export market.

Thanking you.

Regards,
Dr. Shehla Javed Akram

“Because only women know what women want”

In April 2002, Dr. Shehla Javed Akram laid the foundation Punjab Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PWCCI) by encouraging a group of committed women entrepreneurs. The concept was simple: to provide a forum solely dedicated to advocating the cause of women entrepreneurship. The concept of a separate chamber of commerce and industry for women entrepreneurs is not new: in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka etc women chambers of commerce and industry have been functioning for years. The Punjab  Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been modeled on the existing chambers working in various parts of South-east Asia.

CONCEPT OF WOMEN CHAMBER:

The guiding principle of the women chamber is a belief that economic empowerment of Punjabi women will help them take their rightful place as a powerful business force in Pakistan. Through our commitment to promulgating the cause of women entrepreneurship, the women chamber hopes to expand the cumulative financial strength of business women in the Punjab, create powerful new economic platforms, and instill a spirit of economic empowerment amongst women at all levels. Continue reading ‘First Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Pakistan’ »