Islamabad, October 20, 2022 (PPI-OT):Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) with CARE International Pakistan, through its Ignite Financial Inclusion Project funded by the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth, to co-host the 3rd All Pakistan Women Chamber of Commerce President’s Conference in Islamabad.
The conference was designed to empower women entrepreneurs and foster dialogue with key stakeholders on addressing the challenges they face in Pakistan. Currently, only 1% of women in Pakistan are engaged in entrepreneurship. The event saw the participation of 20 women chambers from across the country and was attended by government officials, diplomats, financial institutes, professionals, community leaders, and business owners.
Discussions surrounded gender equality, financial inclusivity, international connectivity, women’s engagement in different disciplines, future challenges, and opportunities, businesses, and health concerns. During the conference, founder President IWCCI, Samina Fazil called for a collective effort to address the disparity. Participating Presidents prepared a roadmap to increase numbers and tackle the barriers to entry for all female entrepreneurs in Pakistan.
Country Director of CARE International in Pakistan, Adil Sheraz, said: “With women constituting nearly 50% of Pakistan’s population, gender equality in all its interventions is a key focus area for CARE. Through this collaboration conference with the IWCCI we were able to work with key stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the country and possible solutions.”
Lisa Richman, Director, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth, said: “The 3rd All Pakistan Women Chamber of Commerce President’s Conference highlighted the great work being done across the country and the need to build on the success to ensure all women entrepreneurs can prosper.
At MasterCard, we believe that no economy can truly flourish without the contribution of its citizens, and so we partner and innovate to connect women to the possibilities and opportunities that allow them to succeed.” Naima Ansari, preceding President of IWCCI, said “It is our mission to uplift the standards of living of women who play an indispensable role by acting as agents of change. We want to put a spotlight on all women and address the status quo with respect to the empowerment of the women’s community.
For more information, contact:
President,
Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI)
Mobile: +92-323-5343199
Tel: +92-51-2252256