Member, Women Entrepreneurs subcommittee of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Ms Yasmeen Hasnain, has suggested that the Minister of Women Development should divert all her efforts to provide finance to needy and poor women for small and medium entrepreneur development.
She gave this suggestion to KCCI subcommittee which had invited proposals from its women members for formulation of guidelines to ascertain the role of women in various sectors of the economy. She suggested that very modest efforts in this direction are made through associations, NGO, First Women Bank, crisis for women in distress, burns centre for women and shelter homes.
She said that the public sector along with entrepreneurs could have solid contribution to achieve the goal. Women chamber of commerce and industry, association, entrepreneurs at the private proposed sector such as seven businesswomen should be associated with responsibilities to make these programs successful.
Ms Anadil Khan proposed that KCCI should try to introduce women entrepreneurs with recommendations to other chambers of the world to facilitate their business in the area of export.
She said that women should be grouped according to their field and area of business and guidelines should be provided to them. After forming these smaller groups, workshops should be held on different topics and they should be encouraged to participate in trade fairs overseas and should be given subsidies.
Ms Wazahat Naseem suggested that KCCI should establish a help line, or a person be deputed to collect the issues and problems faced by women entrepreneurs and send them to concerned officials.
She said that women of the committee be given some targets to promote their respective area of business.
Ms Fatema Saifuddin said that the current Website of KCCI should be made more informative as well as user-friendly.
Ms Farida Omar Shah suggested that the subcommittee goal should be to establish and assimilate a strong networking among the businesswomen:
-- To encourage more women entrepreneur in business,
-- To conduct seminars, workshops, training programs and conferences, and to provide counselling and consultancy services as well as promoting, propagating and enhancing women capabilities and potentials.
-- To develop leadership among women who own and operate business, and provide necessary guidance for expanding the frontiers of their business.
-- Pooling and providing expertise resources, fellowship and networking as well as the necessary ingredients in ensuring successful and profitable business ventures to its members and affiliates.
Farzana said that this platform should be used to promote, facilitate and encourage women to become entrepreneurs and not use it as a platform to serve the cause of individual businesses.
She said that members should not get involved in money matters ie fund raising and cash management etc, as that inevitably leads to pilferage and corruption. The purpose of this platform should be service in a meaningful way and not self-projection, and the interaction, meetings should be qualitative and professional rather than social.