Procter & Gamble (P&G) has partnered with UN Women to contribute towards the economic empowerment of women in Pakistan. The initiative includes supporting women entrepreneurship and gender-responsive procurement in the country. The partnership was announced after a meeting between Jamshed M. Kazi, UN Women Country Representative for Pakistan and Sami Ahmed, Vice President P&G Pakistan at the P&G General Office in Karachi.
This partnership stems from P&G's commitment to gender equality which is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 - to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The initiative will help marginalized but enterprising women in Sialkot district to start small-scale business ventures. Around 50 women will receive training and skills development, emerging as self-supporting individuals and equal partners of mainstream life on a gender-responsive basis.
Speaking on the occasion, Sami Ahmed, Vice President P&G Pakistan said, "We are delighted to partner with the UN Women to empower Pakistani women. This is a new step in our journey to fulfill P&G's Gender Equality mission in the country. We aspire to build a better world, free from gender bias, with equal representation and an equal voice for women and men. We are creating an inclusive environment within the Company where men and women can contribute to their full potential. We are helping remove gender-biased barriers by using our voice through brand advertising campaigns, enabling education for girls and supporting women's economic empowerment. Our partnership with UN Women symbolizes our expanded commitment to work towards the inclusion of women entrepreneurs in the country," he added.
An evidence-based research study on "Stimulating women's entrepreneurship through affirmative public and private procurement in Pakistan" will also be conducted by through this initiative. The study will gather data on women-owned enterprises operating in the country. It will also identify and deepen the understanding of the challenges faced by women-owned businesses in the public and private procurement sphere and their capacity enhancement needs. It will also provide corporate organizations information and access to relevant women-owned businesses with potential for integration into corporate supply chains. Moreover, The World Bank will provide technical support to UN Women in conducting this research study.
Commenting on this partnership, Jamshed M. Kazi, UN Women Country Representative for Pakistan, said, "UN Women is committed to engaging with the private sector to enhance gender equality and accelerate progress in this area. In addition to socio-cultural barriers that hinder women's opportunity for mobility, education and skills to participate in the workforce on an equal footing, research indicates that inadequate data and women's unpaid work also impact their participation in the labour force. The lack of access to viable economic opportunities is one of the main factors that have prevented women from engaging in entrepreneurial activities. Moreover, women entrepreneurs have been largely excluded from this sizeable market due to lack of access to information on bids, understanding of procedures, and ability to meet requirements."
He further highlighted, "the findings of this study will serve as a powerful public procurement tool and will also be shared with key stakeholders in the country to aid in the formulation of policies to support women-owned enterprises. We are pleased that P&G has joined us in supporting this cause."-PR
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