ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) on Saturday asked the government to promote women empowerment to ensure rapid social and economic development as it was noted that only seven percent of women have a financial services account in Pakistan.
In a workshop organised by IWCCI which was conducted by the chamber’s consultant Sara Ansari, it asked the business community to follow their words with action concerning empowerment of women for the sake of future generations.
The businesswomen observed that female entrepreneurs face difficulties when dealing with state-run or privately owned businesses. They showed concern over a lack of space for participation in economic activities which results in frustration and loss.
The IWCCI members said that society should enable women to thrive in an environment that would empower their strengths which would lead to increased performance and productivity levels that will supplement the national economy.
It was shared that women in Pakistan do not have much access to financial services as compared to 36 percent in Bangladesh, 77 percent in India and 58 percent in Saudi Arabia, with only South Sudan performing worse than Pakistan.
The workshop noted that female entrepreneurs need access to a broad range of financial services, including savings, credit, insurance, and transfers to establish and grow their businesses but they are denied the opportunities.
The members hoped that things will improve during the current government as former governments made laudable commitments which were not backed with the requisite financial and political support.
