The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) has started a programme aimed at improving standard of living of Pakistani women by bringing creativity among them, Unido Chief, Pakistan, Engr. Shadia Yousif Bakhait said on Wednesday.
The programme would help the women to get better returns for their efforts and bring them a good name in the local as well as international markets, she said while speaking at a seven-day workshop on "Developing Creativity for Design Business" organised by Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI).
Shadia said textile, home decor and granite designing were some sectors having potential to pay rich dividends and called upon women entrepreneurs to design products keeping latest trends in the mind. Speaking on the occasion, National Programme Co-ordinator Unido, Shahina Waheed said the organisation strived for capacity building and orientation among business women. She said Unido also aimed at encouraging potential business women so that they step into businesses after knowing how to promote their interests.
IWCCI Founder President Samina Fazil in her address said that women lag behind as they lack value addition skills. Consumers were turning to the web primarily because of convenience while majority of Pakistani business women had yet to launch their websites, she observed.
She said women entrepreneurs would never excel unless they get feedback from consumers, give them a reason to come back, stay relevant, provide value and show appreciation. IWCCI President Alya Akram said the impact of the global economic crisis together with the rising cost of energy and food was straining the capacity of majority which was a challenge for women entrepreneurs.
She demanded the government to formulate proper women empowerment initiatives so that overall productivity can be boosted up to 25-35 percent. Earlier Unido's international trainers Giulio Vinaccia from Austria and Olimpia Newman of Italy informed business women about ways and means to improve businesses through creativity. They said Pakistani business women were suffering due to lack of innovation skills and assured the participants that they would continue to visit Pakistan and improve skills of women.
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