Footlib in collaboration with the Market Development Facility, which is Australia's flagship private sector development programme launched an innovative women's only stitching line at its Lahore shoe factory on Thursday. The Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Margaret Adamson, was the chief guest while the ceremony was attended by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) Amena Cheema and CEO Footlib Wasim Zakaria.
Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson said Australia will continue its support Pakistan for bringing economic prosperity and promoting sustainable and equitable development in the country. Adamson expressed her support for the initiative and praised the Government of Punjab for its concrete efforts to promote women's empowerment and entrepreneurship. CEO PBIT Amena Cheema, expressed her dedication to the cause of empowering women and discussed the unique and important ways that women can contribute to the economy and society.
"Women entrepreneurs see the world through a different lens and, in turn, do things differently," she said. Cheema praised Pakistani women for making enormous strides over the years despite many obstacles. "In recent years, women in Pakistan have amply demonstrated their resilience and talent by working their way up from low productivity sectors to make their mark in virtually every sector of economic activity," she said. CEO Footlib Wasim Zakaria said under the initiative, local women will be recruited to work on a female-only stitching line, providing them with skills training, a comfortable work environment and wage parity. The move will boost the local economy as well as it will empower both men and women.