We can proudly proclaim that Pakistan is becoming one of those great nations who are working enthusiastically to increase the opportunities for women in working fields. Two highly esteemed organizations have joined hands to work on one goal; establishing females in entrepreneur world. They are, Herself Pakistan and Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
A formal MoU signing ceremony was held at Arfa Software Technology Park on November 13th 2017. This was led by Director Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development PITB, Nabeel A. Qadeer who signed the MoU with Ms. Falahat Imran, President WCCI. Mehak Jamal and Ayesha Mubashir from the Herself team were also present for the ceremony and represented the program.
Herself is the women empowerment initiative of Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), headed by Dr. Umar Saif. T
he sole purpose of the program is to guide women towards a balanced lifestyle by enabling them to earn for themselves. Herself assist them to discover their true potential and provide them the required skill set that will help them in establishing their own work. A package of 20+ trainings divided into the categories of personal development, technical skills and entrepreneurial/business skills is provided to a new group of women every 3-4 months in the Herself pre-incubation training program.
Whereas, Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s vision is to develop women entrepreneurs by encouraging entrepreneurship as a means of economic empowerment. For potential women entrepreneurs, the chamber aims to provide a one window facility. For established women entrepreneurs, the chamber will provide a forum for debate and discussion, opportunity to interact with their local and international counterparts as well as facilities for research and development.
Nabeel Qadeer addressed the attendees of the ceremony, including the executives and members of WCCI, and expressed the vision of Dr. Umar Saif of establishing a gender balanced entrepreneurial ecosystem in Pakistan. The event revolved around the words of Dr. Umar Saif, Chairman PITB;
“Technology is emerging at a very high speed and we need to make sure Pakistani women are equipped with technical knowledge. Once this is done, there is nothing a woman can’t do even while sitting at home.”
Founder President WCCI, Dr. Shehla Javed shared her vision of taking women to the next step through such collaborations and emphasized on the importance of creating more platforms for women where they can experiment and learn, eventually becoming motivated and skilled individuals who can contribute in the economy of Pakistan.
This partnership between Herself and WCCI will open new domains for women who want to step out of comfort zones and work for themselves. It will introduce a program that goes beyond societal and family constraints, enabling women to become independent. The core focus will be kept on freelancing and entrepreneurship for which extensive trainings will be held, leading women towards financial security.
We hope such programs continue to provide confidence to women and give them stronger personalities, enabling them compete for leadership roles.