Updates

Women-led businesses, policymakers celebrate progress and identify areas for reform in Pakistan

Women’s economic empowerment

12 March 2024

ITC News

Pakistani policymakers and women’s business associations discussed good practices and policy gaps during a SheTrades Outlook workshop in Islamabad.

On 8 March in Islamabad, Pakistan, a cacophony of sights and sounds greeted policymakers and women-led businesses who gathered to mark International Women’s Day in style.

With support from UK International Development by the UK government, and in collaboration with British High Commission in Pakistan, the International Trade Centre (ITC) held a SheTrades Outlook validation workshop and supported five women-led businesses to exhibit their products at an International Women's Day event in Islamabad.

Celebrating milestones in inclusive policymaking

In 2023, ITC collected data from 25 public and private institutions in Pakistan to map how the policy environment supports women to do business and trade. Key findings from this assessment are available on SheTrades Outlook – ITC’s online tool that explores and compares how countries are addressing gender in trade policies and practices.

The results indicate that Pakistan has made progress. For example, the country’s Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2020-2025 includes gender equality provisions, which were informed by consultations with Pakistani women’s business associations.

Sixty representatives from government agencies, business support organizations, women’s business associations and development partners discussed the results. They then worked in small groups to identify priority areas for the government to enact gender-inclusive policy reforms and develop a women entrepreneurship policy. They highlighted the following ways to improve women’s participation in entrepreneurship and trade:

Adopt an internationally recognized definition of a women-owned or women-led businesses and raise awareness among institutions
Raise awareness and explore opportunities for gender-responsive public procurement
Provide targeted support to chambers of commerce, including those focused on women
Facilitate women’s access to finance, especially for start-ups and those in rural areas

We will embolden and amplify the work of diverse grassroots women’s organisations and movements, championing their role as critical agents for change and backing platforms to ensure they are listened to on the local, national and global stage.

Jane Marriot

British High Commissioner in Pakistan

SMEDA is developing a national women’s entrepreneurship policy to facilitate the creation and growth of women-led businesses in Pakistan. The policy will address most of the issues discussed in this workshop, including the definition of a women-led/owned business and public procurement. We’re happy to work with REMIT and ITC to ensure that these are included in the policy.

Nadia Seth

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA)

SheTrades Outlook provides critical data to help prioritize policy interventions for women entrepreneurs. Through the workshop, we have gathered inputs from stakeholders to help develop a women entrepreneurship policy in Pakistan. Our team is ready to provide technical assistance to develop gender-responsive policies and capacity building on gender mainstreaming. We look forward to continuing collaboration with the government, women’s business associations and development partners on inclusive trade policymaking in Pakistan.

Gem Arbo

SheTrades Initiative, International Trade Centre

We are committed to promoting women’s economic empowerment in Pakistan. TDAP supports women at different stages of their businesses – new entrepreneurs, developed wholesale and retail companies and export-oriented businesses. We also support women to join trade fairs and provide e-commerce B2B support. We are happy to partner with ITC to better understand the environment for women and to learn good practices on inclusive policymaking.

Dr. Shumaila Sikandar

Deputy Director and SheTrades Outlook Trade and Gender Focal Point in Pakistan

Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP)

Women’s chambers of commerce are crucial to provide a platform for women entrepreneurs to network, support each other, and advocate for inclusive policies. The WCCI prepared a proposal for the State Bank of Pakistan, which resulted in the creation of collateral free loans for women. Members of the WCCI have benefited from these loans – they have gained financial independence and expanded customer base through digital marketing.

Aisha Khurram

Lahore Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI)

I thank the ITC SheTrades for the opportunity to participate in the trade fair in the UK. It has created new opportunities for my company.

I thank the ITC SheTrades for the opportunity to participate in the trade fair in the UK. It has created new opportunities for my company.

Amber Saifee

Geppetto Leather

A women-led business supported by ITC SheTrades Initiative

Video

Learn how five women entrepreneurs from Pakistan geared up to enter the global marketplace at Spring Fair 2024 in Birmingham, United Kingdom under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme.

18 March 2024

View more on Youtube

Facilitating market access for Pakistan women-led businesses

Since mid-2023, with funding from UK International Development, the ITC SheTrades Initiative has scaled up its support to Pakistani women entrepreneurs to unlock market opportunities.

Under the ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, ITC delivered a rigorous market access programme for women in apparel, accessories, home décor and jewellery.

Five women participated in online training. One-on-one mentoring focussed on digital photography, merchandising, pricing, logistics, branding and buyer negotiation. Their businesses then showcased their products at Spring Fair in Birmingham, the UK’s leading marketplace for wholesale home, gift and fashion.

There, the exhibitors received on-the-ground coaching from ITC’s industry experts. Even as dusk settled in, crowds formed around their pop-up stores. Their experience exhibiting at Spring Fair was captured in a short video created by the Programme.

ITC also trained 35 women on export readiness and delivered a training-of-trainers to FEMPROW, a business support organization focused on women’s professional growth.

ITC also developed two handbooks for Pakistani women in agrifood, textiles and apparel, and accessories sectors to export to the United Kingdom. Created through the Pakistan: Gender-responsive UK export information and network project, the handbooks include guidance on how to export under the new UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

ITC also developed an export competitiveness guidebook in English and Urdu. A trade mission brought 15 representatives from UK companies and UK-based chambers of commerce to meet over 200 Pakistani companies, including women-led businesses — a first in nearly 20 years.

About ITC SheTrades Outlook

SheTrades Outlook is ITC’s policy tool that promotes more inclusive policies and data. Through 55 indicators and 6 pillars, the tool helps stakeholders assess, monitor, and improve the institutional ecosystem for women’s participation in business and international trade.

Policymakers and other stakeholders can find more details on the results and recommendations in the SheTrades Outlook Pakistan policy brief, available on the online tool.

ITC invites additional countries across the world, to join SheTrades Outlook. For more information, please visit https://outlook.shetrades.com or contact womenandtrade [at] intracen.org (womenandtrade[at]intracen[dot]org).