The Planning Commission should immediately operationalize centre for social enterprise, which was already approved by the departmental development working party, to support the women empowerment in Pakistan. This was recommended in the report on "Activist to Entrepreneur; the Role of Social Enterprise in Supporting Women Empowerment in Pakistan" jointly launched by the British Council and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) here on Thursday.
The report further recommended that this centre should ensure that the support required by women social entrepreneurs is made widely available. The provincial governments should follow the example of federal Planning Commission and establish a centre for social enterprise at the departments of planning and development in the provincial capitals.
These centres will act as a knowledge repository for those seeking help from the government department and also ensure that reforms and fiscal incentives for women-led social enterprise are part of the provincial growth strategies as well as annual provincial budgets and annual development plan, the report added.
Speaking at the concluding session, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaz Aziz said that entrepreneurship and social enterprise are being recognized as central to advancing women's economic empowerment and social innovation, as women can become economically independent, build up their assets, and increase their financial and household security by setting up their own businesses.
The report pointed out that Pakistan was repeatedly ranked as the second worst country for gender inequality in the world and in Pakistan women and girls are facing lack of opportunities, discrimination and violence. The literacy rate for women in Pakistan is only 40 per cent, compared to 69 percent for men; primary school enrolment for girls is only 67 percent, compared with 81 per cent for boys; less than 30 per cent of women are in the paid workforce; only two percent of business loans go to women; and domestic and sexual violence are endemic.
Aziz further stated that it's great opportunity that international organizations such as the British Council and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) are collaborating to stimulate Pakistan's social enterprise and social investment systems "which will take us a step closer to fulfilling our commitments to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."
He said that Pakistan has one of the largest youth populations in the world with 40 percent of the total population with about 20 percent between the ages of 15 and 24 and according to the latest reports, about 8.2 percent of the youth are unemployed whereas situation for young women is even more worse because of comparatively low literacy levels accompanied by fewer employment opportunities.
Sartaj Aziz said Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP for collaboration with the Planning Commission and the British Council, will help in providing leadership, knowledge and the resources to female entrepreneurships.
Shamshad Akhtar stated the research confirms that social enterprise could be used as a model for empowerment of women in Pakistan. To do so, a gender-responsive entrepreneurial ecosystem needs to be created. She noted that an environment that enables women entrepreneurs to access the resources and offer support needed to develop their businesses, scale them up and make them sustainable. The importance of social enterprise is reflected in the "Regional Roadmap for Implementing 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific."
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