Entrepreneurship made compulsory subject

Move aims at women's economic empowerment, gender equality

LAHORE:

Pakistan's National Single Curriculum has introduced entrepreneurship as a mandatory subject for grades 9 to 12, aiming to foster an enterprising spirit within the nation.

This initiative is in line with the country's vision to become a hub of innovation and business growth.

Speaking as the keynote speaker at the International See Pakistan Conference, organised by the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) at the Lahore Expo Centre, Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Chief Executive Officer of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), revealed the inclusion of entrepreneurship in the curriculum.

He emphasised that this step is crucial for nurturing an entrepreneurial culture from an early age.

Khawaja highlighted the incorporation of "sports entrepreneurship" into the educational framework, drawing inspiration from professionally managed football leagues worldwide.He underlined SMEDA's Sports Industries Development Centre's (SDIC) pioneering efforts in Sialkot to promote this concept.

Underscoring the significance of women's economic empowerment, Khawaja stressed that promoting women entrepreneurship holds key advantages for Pakistan's economy.

With women constituting nearly 48.7 percent of the total population, Pakistan ranks unfavorably low at 145 out of 146 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index. Khawaja revealed that approximately 3.2 million women are currently involved in entrepreneurial activities. However, if their participation is further enhanced, it could potentially contribute up to US$28 trillion or 26 percent to the annual GDP by 2025.

Highlighting the importance of female labor force participation, Khawaja noted that the present rate stands at 21.4 percent, which must be raised to at least 45 percent to align with the country's growth targets and cultivate a more dynamic and sustainable economy. APP

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2023.