The Government of Pakistan, he said, had taken a lot of steps to empower women but a lot was to be done for which international institutions should play their due role.
Abdul Rauf Alam was talking to delegates representing different countries during the launch of Women and ICT Frontier Initiative (WIFI) at the convention arranged by the United Nations Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (UN-APCICT) in Korea, said a press release.
He said the aim of WIFI was to create socially and economically-empowered women through ICT-enabled entrepreneurship, supporting women entrepreneurs by enhancing their knowledge and skills in business management and ICT usage which was a noble cause.
Abdul Rauf Alam said that this project was to be coordinated through Centre of Pakistan and International Relations (COPAIR) while FPCCI had already signed an agreement with the President of (COPAIR) Amna Malik to empower and facilitate all members of various women chambers and rural women.
The FOCCI President said the WIFI would have a transformative impact on the lives of women entrepreneurs, their families, and their communities which triggers growth and reduce negative tendencies in the society therefore it was a laudable move.
The success of women results in increased household savings and investment in children's health and education which contribute to national socio-economic growth, he said adding that economically productive women imperative for a healthy society, he added.
On the occasion, Amna Malik said that almost half of the world's population comprised women while lack of opportunities was keeping the whole world from developing on rapid pace.
Companies like Google, Microsoft and Intel presented their initiatives in the launch and emphasized how they can collaborate and support women entrepreneurship.
Hundreds of participants including high-level officials and representatives from government, academia, civil society, international organizations and the private sector from over fifty countries participated in the event.