WEXNET exhibition starts today

Entrepreneurs from across the region gather to support businesswomen.

KARACHI: The Women Exporter Network (WEXNET), a flagship exhibition of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Lahore Chapter, though is starting on Friday, a conference and a workshop for female entrepreneurs were held on Thursday to help foster entrepreneurship in the country.

Earlier during the day, TDAP Chairman SM Munir, while speaking at an international conference, said such conferences provided enhanced guidance to female entrepreneurs and their participation showed the enthusiasm about learning and developing businesses on modern lines.

“Gender equality and women empowerment are critical development objectives. When women earn, societies as a whole benefit through increased investment in children health and schooling,” said TDAP Secretary Rabia Javeri Agha.

“Working women not only reduce poverty in the society but also provide inspiration to other women and to the next generation of girls, both in homes and their communities,” she added.

The topics under discussion included financial independence and empowerment through education. Both the conference and workshop were attended by more than 40 foreign delegates. Female entrepreneurs from all the four provinces and Saarc member countries were exhibiting their products.

Later, the entrepreneurs shared their views and experiences about the role of women empowerment in today’s economies.

Ria Doolaard of the Netherlands held a special session to help Pakistan’s female entrepreneurs expand their trade network to other countries.

Guiding the audience, she said in order to enter the international market the entrepreneur would have to first compete in domestic markets. “For international exposure, one must first know how she thinks about her business. Planning is important in such projects. Establishing a planning process prepares you to do better business for the future,” she said.

She suggested that one should know all the processes involved in exports and also have knowledge about the products. “Trade is a time-bound activity, so one should know if the products really compete in the international market.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2014.

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