Historically, corporate boards in many countries have been comprised mainly of men.  A number of European market regulators are considering imposing quotas of women on the boards of publicly traded companies as a requirement in the new Code of Corporate Governance, and this is likely to compel business to consider gender diversity of corporate boards.

A report published by the Institute of Employment Studies notes that, “Despite long-standing anti-discrimination legislation in the US, UK and across Europe, women still remain under-represented in many occupations, most noticeably in high-level posts.  This phenomenon is seen at its most extreme when the composition of company boards is considered.  In the USA, woman constitute on average 14.7 per cent of board members on Fortune 500 companies; in the UK, women hold 11 per cent of FTSE 100 directorships, according to the 2008 Sex and Power report published by the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission.”

Read the rest of the article on gender diversification in Pakistani Corporate Boards.

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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 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’ »