Pakistan WE-NET has organized an exclusive half-day networking session in Karachi with international businesswomen association members visiting from Turkey, Jordan, Russia and Qatar on Friday, January 25, 2019.
Participation Fee: Rs 2000/-
To register, contact us on secretariat@pakistanwenet.org
Pakistan Women Entrepreneurs Network for Trade in collaboration with USAID – PREIA (Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity) organized a series of workshops on Women Leadership in Trade Policy in Islamabad & Karachi, in August 2018.
Women entrepreneurs were trained on formulation of trade policy in Pakistan, trade for women owned Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and how SMEs can market their brands internationally.
50 participants consisting of women entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors including gemstones, agriculture, textile & apparel, handicrafts and furniture attended the sessions. Both sessions had a diverse representation from women entrepreneurs from different cities including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Mandi Bahaudin, Jhelum, Peshawar, Karachi, Hyderabad and Nawabshah.
The sessions started with a welcome note from Lubna Farooq, Board member, WE-NET, followed by Yasmin Hyder, President, WE-NET, who discussed the benefits of engaging in international trade and examined the current situation of Pakistan’s export market with accompanying challenges.
Roubina Taufeeq Shah Former Director (Admin), CPEC Centre for Excellence highlighted the impact of trade policy on SMEs and current challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. Roubina recommended measures to be taken at an individual level to effectively advocate for trade policy reforms. An advanced module on ‘Strategic Trade Policy Framework’ followed this session, which provided an overview of STPF reforms specific to women entrepreneurs. Roubina stressed on the need for women to educate themselves about trade policy in order to become effective agents of change.
Qashif Effendi, CEO Reem Rice and Member, Advisory Council, WE-NET provided guidance with regards to marketing and branding for international markets. Qashif provided an overview of Pakistan’s trade performance and with the use of case studies, illustrated the importance of branding when competing in global markets.
Lubna Farooq explored Trade Policy in the light of gender and highlighted Pakistan WE-NET’s advocacy with regards to gender mainstreaming in Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2018-23. The workshop also featured guest speakers who shared their personal experience of competing in international markets and how specific trade policies have affected their business. Guest speakers from Islamabad included Myra Qureshi (CEO Co-natural), Sapna Kavita Oberoi (Partner Oberoi Traders) Farzeen Irtazaz (CEO, House of Rani Emaan). The sessions were well received by participants who engaged in B2B networking and knowledge sharing during lunch and tea breaks. Participants expressed interest in more detailed workshops on trade policy. Women entrepreneurs received guidance and advice from one another regarding bookkeeping, marketing, branding, and access to finance.
The session closed with a group photo and certificate distribution ceremony.
Pakistan WE-NET in collaboration with USAID – PREIA (Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity) organized a workshop on Women Leadership in Trade Policy in Islamabad on August 8, 2018. The workshop explored the benefits of trade for women businesses, whilst sharing knowledge on business development in international markets. The workshop featured representatives from corporate and SME sectors with diverse experience and knowledge. The session had a diverse representation of women entrepreneurs from several cities including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi, Mandi Bahaudin, Jhelum and Peshawar.
The session began with welcome remarks from Yasmin Hyder, President, Pakistan WE-NET and Hussan-Bano Burki, Chief of Party USAID PREIA. Hussan-Bano thanked the WE-NET team for their contribution to women’s economic empowerment and discussed upcoming projects of PREIA aimed to benefit Pakistani women. Yasmin Hyder discussed the benefits of engaging in international trade and examined the current situation of Pakistan’s export market as well as its accompanying challenges.
Roubina Taufiq Shah, Former DG Trade Dispute Resolution Organization, Director (Admin), CPEC Center for Excellence, discussed the ‘Impact of Trade Policy’. Her session highlighted the current challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and measures that need to be taken to address such challenges faced in macro-level trade policy reforms. An advanced module on ‘Strategic Trade Policy Framework’ followed this session, which provided an overview of STPF reforms specific to women entrepreneurs. Roubina stressed the need for women to educate themselves about trade policy in order to become effective agents of change. Roubina also highlighted the need for women chambers and associations to educate themselves on trade policy matters so as to become significant contributors to future trade policy frameworks.
Qashif Effendi, CEO, Reem Rice delivered a talk on marketing and branding for international markets. Qashif provided an overview of Pakistan’s international trade performance and through case studies, illustrated the importance and significance of branding while competing in global markets.
The session was well received by participants who expressed an interest in more detailed workshops regarding trade policy. The workshop also featured notable guest speakers who shared their personal experience of scaling up and competing in international markets. Guest speakers included Myra Qureshi (CEO, Co-Natural), Sapna Kavita Oberoi (Partner, Oberoi Traders) Farzeen Irtazaz (CEO, House of Rani Emaan) and Lubna Farooq (Board Member, Pakistan WE-NET).
Pakistan WE-NET delegation attended SheTrades Global Conference in Liverpool from June 26-28, 2018. SheTrades was launched by the International Trade Centre (ITC), which seeks to connect women entrepreneurs to market. Women in businesses can instantly start connecting with buyers, sellers, investors and potential partners. Led by Pakistan WE-NET President, Yasmin Hyder, the delegation explored business and trade opportunities with entrepreneurs from Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil and Kenya.
The delegation comprised of women entrepreneurs working in the Textile and Apparel sector. The conference highlighted how the use of technology is pertinent in today’s era in enhancing women’s access to information and international markets.
Arancha Gonzales, Chief Executive, International Trade Centre, met with Pakistan WE-NET President, Yasmin Hyder and was briefed on current activities and future prospects of the organization. Ms Arancha acknowledged the contribution of Pakistan in trade and commerce during one of her sessions, specifically mentioning Pakistani footballs being used during the World Cup season.
The SheTrades conference shed light on the importance of women entrepreneurs to not only trade internationally, but also nationally within their country. The conference led to deal formulation for future trade between participants from KAGIDER (Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Association) and Pakistan WE-NET delegation.
Pakistan Women Entrepreneurs Network for Trade (WE-NET) organised a delegation of 6 women entrepreneurs from SMEs to Jordan to explore trade opportunities. The cross-sectoral delegation consisted of Yasmin Hyder, CEO, New World Concepts (Services), Sadiqa Husain Tayebaly, CEO, Tali (Handicrafts), Samar Hamayun, Interior Designer (Furniture), Irum Farhat Farooq, CEO, MetaMindz (Education), Aamna Husain, Consultant, (Health), and Aliza Qaisar, Project Coordinator, WE-NET.
The delegation held meetings with the Jordan Chamber of Industry, the 
Amman Chamber of Commerce, the Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women, the International Women’s Forum, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Jordan and Her Royal Highness Princess Sarvath El Hassan.
The Jordan Chamber of Industry discussed an initiative in the works called ‘Women E-mall’ that will allow women to showcase their products on an online platform. Board Members of the Jordan Forum of Industry encouraged WE-NET members in the sector to partake in the Women E-mall once it is launched, in order to boost regional trade.
A B2B networking event was held at the Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women (JFBPW), where members of the forum from similar 
sectors explored trade opportunities with the Pakistan WE-NET delegation. During this session, fashion designers expressed interest in sourcing raw material from Pakistan; and entrepreneurs specializing in beauty and wellness products discussed the possibility of collaborating with an exclusive distributor in Pakistan.
The Pakistan WE-NET delegation and the board of the Amman Chamber of Commerce discussed the establishment of a Jordan-Pakistan Business Forum
to promote trade between the two countries. Furthermore, the ACC expressed interest in establishing structured cooperation between Pakistan WE-NET and ACC to identify trade opportunities and boost trade linkages between the two countries and within the region. Senator Issa H. Murad, Chairman, ACC, also offered to introduce Pakistan WE-NET to the Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Interested in Pakistan’s surgical instruments, religious and medical tourism and commodity trading, ACC encouraged Pakistan WE-NET members to promote Jordan as a manufacturing export hub for duty-free US trade. Furthermore, Pakistan WE-NET invited ACC members for a reciprocal visit to Pakistan, to explore further opportunities.
The Chairman of the Private Hospitals Association in Jordan shared the success of medical tourism in Amman and the benefits of promoting the same in countries like Pakistan. Members of ACC also highlighted Jordan’s position as a transit route for trading with Iraq and Syria, and encouraged Pakistan to benefit from it.
The International Women’s Forum Jordan chapter held an executive breakfast
with Dr. Susana Torres, where Yasmin Hyder, President WE-NET introduced Pakistan WE-NET to members of IWF and encouraged women to engage in business to business networking with registered WE-NET members.
Her Royal Highness, Princess Sarvath El Hassan invited the delegation to her residence to learn about Pakistan WE-NET and to introduce Pakistan-origin entrepreneurs based in Jordan to the network. She was highly appreciative of this empowering initiative and the visit to build ties between both sisterly countries. The delegation was also welcomed by
HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal.
Maj. Gen (Rtd.) Junaid Rehmat, Ambassador of Pakistan to Jordan, met with
the Pakistan WE-NET trade delegation, offering support in regards to facilitation of trade exhibitions and global advocacy activities. His Excellency emphasized on the importance of encouraging trade delegations to visit Jordan, in order to strengthen relations between the two countries. He further elaborated on the demand for Pakistan textile and surgical products.
Pakistan Women Entrepreneurs Network for Trade (WE-NET) conducted an exclusive session for women entrepreneurs from across Pakistan, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Hazara, Peshawar and Karachi. The 2-hour session featured Uzma Quresh, Social Development Specialist, World Bank Group, Zahid Latif Khan, President, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Reem Abbasi, President, Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Qashif Effendi, CEO, Reem Rice, and others.
Yasmin Hyder, President, Pakistan WE-NET, introduced the network to the audience of women entrepreneurs and detailed its objectives, and recent
achievements. She urged the women entrepreneurs to take advantage of Pakistan WE-NET’s global linkages in order to trade and grow their businesses.
Uzma Quresh spoke about the low rates of female entrepreneurship in Pakistan, and detailed some of the leading constraints of entrepreneurship for women in Pakistan, including lack of access to finance, time scarcity due to household responsibilities, and lack of collateral.
Zahid Latif Khan appreciated the efforts made by Pakistan WE-NET and expressed interest in future collaborations between RCCI and Pakistan WE-NET.
Qashif Effendi gave an interactive presentation on “Branding and Marketing for the Future” which was received with great enthusiasm by the women entrepreneurs who were eager to learn about marketing their products for the international market.
The session provided B2B networking opportunities for women across the country, and provided a platform to discuss the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs engaged in trade. A panel discussion on “Challenges of
Entrepreneurship” featuring Reem Abbasi, President, IWCCI, Farzeen Irtizaz, CEO, House of Raani Emaan and Lubna Farooq, Board Member, WE-NET provided insight into the challenges faced by women in trade.
Pakistan WE-NET was able to add 60 women entrepreneurs from diverse sectors to its database of women led SMEs, and created B2B linkages between women entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors including agricultural products, handicrafts, jewelry, general order suppliers, construction accessories, business consultancy, overseas employment promotion, food and spices, agricultural produce and furniture.
Pakistan’s first conference on Gender and Trade co-hosted by the World Bank Group, Pakistan Women Entrepreneurs Network for Trade (WE-NET), Ministry of Commerce with the support of the Australian Government addressed issues regarding gender inclusiveness in Pakistan’s trade policy.
The conference highlighted the gains of closing the gender gap in terms of growth, exports and jobs in Pakistan and raising awareness within the area of women’s economic empowerment. It provided a forum to discuss innovative empirical and theoretical research on gender and trade, with specific application to the challenges of women traders and entrepreneurs in Pakistan.
Over two days, almost 250 participants consisting of government officials, civil society
implementors, academia, women’s organizations and others involved in practical or theoretical work in this field, engaged in discussions to provide suggestions for trade policy formulation and to explore challenges and bottlenecks faced by women entrepreneurs.
Day one featured Zoubida Allaoua, Director, World Bank Group, Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive Director, International Trade Centre, Geneva, Mohammad Ashraf, Director General Trade Policy, Ministry of Commerce Pakistan and H.E Margaret Adamson, High Commissioner of Australia to Pakistan and Her Excellency Ingrid Johansson, Ambassador of Sweden to Pakistan.
Panel discussions with Dr. Farrukh Iqbal, Dean & Director, IBA, Karachi, and Dr. Shahida Wizarat, Head of Economics, IoBM, Karachi, deliberated on Labour Participation and Trade Patterns for Women in Pakistan and Gender Sensitive Trade Policies in Pakistan. The heads of Nestle Pakistan and Unilever emphasized the importance of showcasing success stories for promoting the Business Case for Gender Diversity in Pakistan.
Dr. Mohammad Ashraf, DG, Trade Policy, Ministry of Commerce, in a panel discussion on Gender-Sensitive Trade Policies in Pakistan, described initiatives already taken for gender inclusiveness in Government of Pakistan’s trade policy and welcomed suggestions for the STPF 2018-2023. In a panel discussion on Mainstreaming Gender in Trade Policy – Global Best Practices, Her Excellency Ingrid Johansson highlighted the best practices adopted in Sweden to promote gender equality.
The second day featured Dr. Ishrat Husain, Former Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Ingrid Christenson, Country Head, International Labour Organisation, Anne Marchal, Minister/Deputy Head of Mission, Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan,
Robert Skidmore, ITC, Geneva, and Dr. Gulden Turktan, Founding Chair, W20. Shahid Mustafa, CEO, Telenor Bank, Aamir Niazi, Chairperson, Advisory Council, Pakistan WE-NET, spoke about Cultivating Male Champions for Gender Diversity. Taghrid Nafeisi, CEO, Al-Mutaqaa Brokerage Co., Jordan, Danysh Hashmi, HBL Nisa Women’s Banking, and Naureen Hayat, CEO, Tez Financial Services reflected on Access to Finance – Challenges & Opportunities for Women.
Sanem Oktar, President, KAGIDER (Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Association) spoke about The Transformational Power of Women Entrepreneurs and shared international success stories from KAGIDER members. She invited Yasmin Hyder, President, Pakistan WE-NET to lead a delegation to Istanbul in 2018 for B2B trade networking with women entrepreneurs in Turkey. She referred to the successful hosting of SheTrades B2B value chain conference last year in Istanbul to emphasise the importance of such networking events.
Ingrid Christenson, Country Head, International Labour Organisation, highlighted the importance of social protection in trade policy and identified gender as a key concern.
“Strong women are the driving force behind social and economic change,” noted Zoubida while Yoonyoung Cho, Senior Economic, World Bank Group, revealed “Female labour force participation in Pakistan is 11% in urban areas and 33% in rural areas.”
H.E Margaret Adamson addressed the audience appreciating Pakistan WE-NET’s achievements such as the network becoming the first representative body of women entrepreneurs from Pakistan to join Femmes Chefs d’Enterprises Mondiales (FCEM). She expressed a need for WE-NET to reach out all over the country.
Yasmin Hyder, President, WE-NET revealed that “Gender disparities are stark in Pakistan – only 1 percent of women are entrepreneurs compared to 21 percent of men,” and so we require robust and impactful policy and legislative support to bring about change. She further explained, “Since its launch, WE-NET’s aim has been to create an inclusive and collaborative community of women entrepreneurs that will foster women economic empowerment for the betterment of Pakistan, by developing global linkages as well as engaging in advocacy, knowledge sharing and mentoring activities.”
Dr. Gulden Turktan, Founding Chair, W20, stated “It is in the best interest of Pakistan, as a country, to support and encourage women entrepreneurs’ for trade and inclusion in the economy if the expectation is growth for all.”
Entrepreneurs engaged in an interactive panel discussion on “Marketing Your Business: The Digital Roadmap” where panelists described e-commerce opportunities for global trade and digital platforms that can increase consumer volume.
Through collaboration between Pakistan WE-NET and RLCC, income was generated for 300 women in RLCC’s livelihood department, through handicrafts distributed at the conference.
The two-day power packed conference not only featured leading international entrepreneurs, policy advocates, implementers and high-level corporate figures who discussed steps to close the gender gap; it provided B2B opportunities for women entrepreneurs interested in trading with different countries.
On International Women’s Day, Pakistan WE-NET President, Yasmin Hyder was invited to an exclusive International Women’s Day event organized by the Prime Minister’s office, Islamabad “Celebrating women in Pakistan”.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, cabinet members, key parliamentarians and successful women belonging to the public and private sector, joined the event.
Ms. Yasmin attended the event at the PM Office, Islamabad and introduced Pakistan WE-NET to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2018, WE-NET also organized an exclusive seminar for young female graduates of The Hunar Foundation (THF) on March 7, 2018. The seminar demonstrated tools and strategies to effectively showcase skills while engaging at workplace.
The seminar also featured inspirational speeches from leading women entrepreneurs from WE-NET. Ms. Yasmin thanked THF management and Autocom team for their efforts in making the International Women’s Day a true celebration of women’s contribution to the economy.
The seminar was well received by all participants, especially the young females graduates. The Principal of THF (Women’s Campus) deemed it as extremely beneficial for her students. THF is currently working towards job placements of their graduating batch. The seminar was an effort to encourage these female graduates to avail best possible opportunities whilst fully utilizing their skills.
Pakistan WE-NET launched a digital campaign for International Women’s Day with underlying tagline of “Celebrating women’s contribution to the economy every day”.
To promote women economic empowerment and to explore opportunities for collaboration, Pakistan WE-NET’s project team visited Ra’ana Liaquat Craftsmen’s Colony (RLCC), Karachi on February 7, 2018.
Ms. Selwa Habib, Chairperson, RLCC introduced the WE-NET team to RLCC staff and craftswomen from the community. One of the objectives of the RLCC is to increase opportunities to improve livelihoods of low-income communities. To achieve
this, RLCC provides vocational training and skills development in order to produce and sell handicrafts. By doing so, the RLCC is
currently supporting approximately 300 women in generating a steady stream of income for their households. The colony
however, requires greater access to markets in order to generate sources of income for their community.
Pakistan WE-NET aims to support RLCC in creating networks with women entrepreneurs and providing opportunities for supply chain inclusion with leading brands in Pakistan. Ms. Selwa shared the ground level impact caused by economically empowering women. She stated that women from their community who were not allowed to leave their homes initially, are now being encouraged to get work from RLCC; “With their earnings, women get respect in their households.”
Pakistan WE-NET is collaborating with RLCC for the promotion of local crafts and skills of these women. This will help increase the participation of women in social and economic life, thereby enabling them to contribute to their family budget. Having engaged with RLCC at WE-NET’s launch event, with giveaways made by the women craftsmen, WE-NET will now showcase RLCC products at its Gender and Trade Conference in March 2018.
Pakistan Women Entrepreneurs Network for trade hosted an exclusive morning session on “Encouraging Women Entrepreneurship” on January 24, 2018. The session which was supported by the World Bank Group and the Australian Government, was attended by women entrepreneurs, trade attaches, government representatives, and representatives from multilateral organizations.
Ms. Yasmin Hyder, Founder and President, Pakistan WE-NET, gave an update on WE-NET’s activities since its launch in November 2017. WE-NET became a member of Femmes Chefs d’Enterprises Mondiales (FCEM) in November 2017, making itself the first representative body from Pakistan that has been granted membership to FCEM. WE-NET is focused on developing a database of women led SMEs for trade policy formulation and cross sector partnerships. Ms. Yasmin emphasized the importance of inclusion and collaboration and how WE-NET aims to develop global linkages, engage in advocacy, knowledge sharing and mentoring activities.
Upon request from Ms.Yasmin Hyder, Ms. Reshma Aftab, IFC, WBG, Gender Coordinator, addressed participants of the session. Highlighting how growth in women entrepreneurship contributes to the overall growth of the country, Ms. Reshma shared details of the Pakistan Trade and Investment Policy program (PTIPP) under which WE-NET has been launched. The World Bank Group conducted cross sector dialogues with women entrepreneurs engaged in trade of goods and services across Pakistan. These revealed the need for an active network of Pakistani women businesses and traders, which can engage, with similar networks globally to benefit from regional integration. Therefore, in order to address these needs, WE-NET was launched as the first national, representative platform for women in business and trade of goods and services. Ms. Reshma appreciated the progress made by Pakistan WE-NET in achieving significant milestones within a short span of time.
Highlighting the importance of women’s participation in the economy, Ms. H.E. Ingrid Johansson, Ambassador to the Swedish Embassy in Pakistan, appreciated Pakistan WE-NET for organizing the event for emerging women entrepreneurs. She discussed the policies, which Sweden has in place to encourage women participation in the labour force, and stressed upon the benefits reaped by the economy in this regard. In addition, Ms. Johansson discussed the lessons learned from trade policy initiatives in Sweden and expressed how Pakistan can implement similar policies for boosting trade and strengthening economy.
The session held a panel discussion with Mr. Tariq Huda, Director General Pakistan Customs and Ms. Sonya Battla, Fashion Designer and an entrepreneur. Mr. Qashiff Effendi, CEO, Reem Rice and Member, Advisory Council, WE-NET, moderated the session. Ms. Sonya presented the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs while trading. A few participants of the session also expressed issues faced during exports with the Pakistan Customs especially pertaining to stringent documentation requirement, need for persistent followups, delays in getting solutions and lack of adequate merit system.
Mr. Tariq Huda stressed that the government bodies in Pakistan are gender neutral, whilst acknowledging weaknesses in the system, which can be improved through collaboration. He expressed interest in further collaboration with Pakistan WE-NET in order to address these issues.
Ms. Lubna Farooq, Board member, Pakistan WE-NET, shared her personal success story as a woman entrepreneur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Due to prevalent security situation in areas like Swat, Baltistan and KP, cultural restrictions and gender norms, the challenges for women SMEs are great. It is imperative to bring strength in numbers and address challenges in collaboration with government and private sector bodies.
Ms. Hilde Heye, President FCEM Monaco shared the benefits of having a network. It is important to work together in order to have a stronger impact. There is a need for database development in order to fully explore business opportunities. She highlighted global advocacy platforms as a medium to increase access and gain support. Mentoring through workshops, information and coaching sessions have great benefits and strengthens business networks for budding entrepreneurs.
Ms. Yasmin introduced SheTrades to the audience, which was launched by the International Trade Centre (ITC) seeking to connect one million women entrepreneurs to market by 2020. Women entrepreneurs can showcase their business, find partners and connect with markets to engage in trade exports for business growth.
Dr. Mahnaz Shah, Board member, Pakistan WE-NET, moderated a panel discussion on “Marketing your brand through social media”. The discussion was held with Mr. Qashif Effendi, CEO, Reem Rice; Dr. Ani Atanasova, CEO Pixelhunters and Ms. Tuba Ilze Author, Turkey. Dr. Ani shared how her business has benefitted from its social media presence. Moreover, website development and its integration with social media platforms was deemed essential in order to increase visibility. For retail brands, there is no better platform for marketing one’s brand than social media.
Ms. Tuba Ilze shared her pleasure in hearing inspiring stories of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. She expressed interest in sharing these success stories on her blog in Turkey through collaboration with Pakistan WE-NET. From personal experience, Ms. Tuba shared how making social media groups of women entrepreneurs can lead to creation of small marketplaces and business growth.
Mr. Qashif discussed the differences between weak and strong brands and how businesses should invest in their branding to reap long-term benefits. He also stressed upon the importance of highlighting unique selling points (USPs) of products through effective branding.
The last panel discussion featured Maheen Khan, CEO Gulabo and Shamaeel Ansari, CEO House of Shamaeel moderated by Sadeqa Tayebaly, Board member, Pakistan WE-NET. Ms. Maheen Khan stressed upon the need to leave a mark in the fashion industry through unique and original designs. She also urged women entrepreneurs to invest in research, accounting and bookkeeping and social media management.
Ms. Shameel highlighted the need to develop international linkages. She also encouraged budding fashion designers to participate in trade fares and international exhibitions in order to promote trade. She acknowledged the role of government in facilitating women entrepreneurs for cross-sector partnerships and surpassing international barriers.
The session ended with a closing address by Dr. Mahnaz Shah, Board member Pakistan WE-NET. All participants registered themselves at the WE-NET database and shared feedback on the session. The session was deemed to be informative for all attendees, as it provided learnings, and networking opportunities as well as a platform to express their challenges and learn from one another.
The session began with welcome remarks from Yasmin Hyder, President, Pakistan WE-NET and Hussan-Bano Burki, Chief of Party USAID PREIA. Hussan-Bano thanked the WE-NET team for their contribution to women’s economic empowerment and discussed upcoming projects of PREIA aimed to benefit Pakistani women. Yasmin Hyder discussed the benefits of engaging in international trade and examined the current situation of Pakistan’s export market as well as its accompanying challenges.
followed this session, which provided an overview of STPF reforms specific to women entrepreneurs. Roubina stressed the need for women to educate themselves about trade policy in order to become effective agents of change. Roubina also highlighted the need for women chambers and associations to educate themselves on trade policy matters so as to become significant contributors to future trade policy frameworks.
The session was well received by participants who expressed an interest in more detailed workshops regarding trade policy. The workshop also featured notable guest speakers who shared their personal experience of scaling up and competing in international markets. Guest speakers included Myra Qureshi (CEO, Co-Natural), Sapna Kavita Oberoi (Partner, Oberoi Traders) Farzeen Irtazaz (CEO, House of Rani Emaan) and Lubna Farooq (Board Member, Pakistan WE-NET).