The Deputy Speaker, Sindh Assembly, Raheela Tiwana, has called upon the women entrepreneurs to play an active role in strengthening the economy of Sindh.
Addressing the seminar on 'Fundamentals of Exports Challenges and Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs' organised by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) in collaboration with the FPCCI Women Committee on Wednesday, she said the present government has given full powers to women in legislation-making by increasing women seats in the national and provincial assemblies, as well as in the city government.
Raheela Tiwana said that today women were victims of oppression in Iraq, Palestine and occupied Kashmir and elsewhere. This is because they have not recognised their strength and power and not utilised their capabilities in the right direction. She exhorted the women to unite and prove their mettle through participating in development activities in every sector of economy.
Earlier, EPB Director Nusrat Iqbal Jamshed welcomed the women entrepreneurs, and said that the objective of the seminar was to bring the women traders on one platform.
He said the EPB was encouraging women entrepreneurs to enter the field of exports and earn foreign exchange for the country. The women exporters are included in trade delegations visiting abroad and are given an equal chance to participate in national and international fairs.
There is a special subsidy provided to the women exporters taking part in international fairs, he said, adding that similar seminars would be held in Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, and Sialkot.
About 200 women entrepreneurs are attending the two-day seminar which had informative lectures on finance for export business, tariff, and non-tariff barriers, importance of brands, and challenges of the new World Trade Order.
Former Pakistan Readymade Garments Exporters and Manufacturers Association (Prgmea) chairman Tahir Aziz, in his lecture, explained the manufacturing process from cotton to finished products and value-addition in garment exports.
FPCCI Women Entrepreneurs Wing Chairperson Rukhsana Jhangir said the women had gone beyond the export of handicrafts and apparel and were actively involved in export of steel products, livestock, furniture, agricultural implements, marble, yarn, and sports goods.
The seminar was attended, among others, by EPB Director General Javed Anwar Khan and former Industries secretary and former EPB vice chairman Abu Shamim Arif.