Represen-tative of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in Pakistan, Esam Alqararah has said the Unido has been working extensively to launch a campaign on green industries and bring the gender aspects in green industrial policy to attention.
While addressing a consultative session jointly organised by Unido and Pakistan Institution of Management (PIM), he said that such sessions were being held in major cities of Pakistan with an objective to ensure that all the segments of society, particularly women, obtain full access to resources and opportunities so that they could become agents of change in order to contribute to the sustainable industrial development in the country.
"This is achieved by organising multiple policy dialogues on gender responsive policy and regulatory framework, along with launching an advocacy campaign on women in green industry," he added.
"Green industry has great potential in enabling women entrepreneurs to become economically independent," Esam Alqararah said in his keynote address. The Unido has stressed the need for women to be provided with the opportunity to grow and mould into entrepreneurs. This campaign will work to create gender responsive policy drafts for women entrepreneurs for economic empowerment. This ensures that women's participation in green industry increases. Also, the Unido will commission research on and promoting higher recognition of female leadership in the expanding green industry space.
Director of PIM Abid Hussain Sabri said his entity along with a diverse number of women organisations launched the business growth centre for women in Karachi, which was followed by the launches in Islamabad and Lahore. Abid Hussain Sabri appreciated Unido's efforts and ensured full support of PIM to run business growth centres. He explained how economies were aligning with a sustainable pathway of growth by undertaking green public investments and implementing policy initiatives that encourage environmentally responsible investments.
This is important as women bear the brunt of many challenges related to resources and opportunities, especially because these challenges arise from climate change and environmental degradation. He reiterated PIM's commitment to support the Women Business Growth Centre (WBGC) launched in PIM's premises in collaboration with Unido and ICCI.
Representatives from UN agencies and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry discussed the importance of green industries, and how women can play a role in this. They emphasised the need for a campaign that empowers women, coupled with mitigating climate change and promoting clean energy. It was discussed how this campaign is a way forward for innovators and entrepreneurs.
A large number of participants from women-led organisations, academia, media, and other UN agencies also spoke on the importance of this campaign, and how combined efforts from everyone can make it successful.
Bilquis Tahira from the counterpart organisation of ILO spoke on the role ILO had played, and her organisation's support towards women in green industries. She acknowledged her appreciation for the responsibility the UNIDO has taken on in this project, and also assured everyone of her organisation's continued support in the future. She mentioned the importance of empowering women through entrepreneurship development, as "this is the key to success of our nation."
Mehwish, representative from UN Women, introduced her organisation and briefed everyone on the activities of UN Women, especially of the ongoing efforts in interior Sindh. She also mentioned UN Women will continue supporting this campaign, and further made a point of her experiences in working with women entrepreneurs in the province of Sindh and interior areas, and how this will go a long way in promoting women entrepreneurship in the green industry.
Comments
Comments are closed.