Crossing obstacles: ‘Social barriers hampering women’s participation’

Women’s chamber vice president pledges support for entrepreneurs to market their products.

PESHAWAR: Having been held back for centuries due to customs and cultural obligations, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) women are slowly but surely making their way into the business arena as was evident from the women entrepreneurs’ trade fair which ended recently. 

However, the transition is not taking place fast enough and many women still remain out of economic spheres despite having the aptitude due to familial and social constraints.

According to Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCC&I) Vice President Iqbal Bano, social barriers are the major obstacles hampering women’s participation in the economy.

Speaking at the trade fair about the hindrances Pakistani women entrepreneurs face in running businesses, Bano said women, particularly in Pukhtun societies, are discouraged from running their own business on the pretext of purdah (veil), customs and other reasons.

“K-P’s women have immense potential and can show their skills to the world through their handmade products that depict the culture of their respective areas,” said Bano.

She said the country’s women are highly skilled in embroidery, jewellery making, mosaic, jute work and various other crafts, but they are not encouraged to run their own businesses. “Disapproval from their families adds to the roadblocks that line their path and holds them back from participating in life outside the confines of their houses,” said Bano.

Naheed, an entrepreneur from Swat district, echoed Bano’s views. Naheed said women in her area are not allowed to step out of their houses and do business. “We have a conservative society with an unspoken yet fixed rule that men will earn a living for the family while women will do the housework,” Naheed said while talking to The Express Tribune. “Such cultural and social taboos kill the skills of a woman who is capable of supporting herself or her family in times of need.”

According to social work department’s Shagufta Sayeed, the province’s women are adept at embroidery and artwork but the highly male-dominated society leaves no space for their skills to foster. “By participating in economic activities women can not only lift their standard of living but can also contribute to the GDP,” said Sayeed, adding Pukhtun women are gifted and need guidance to properly market their skills.

This guidance is at the forefront of WCC&I’s agenda for creating an environment that is conducive to the development of women entrepreneurs. According to the association’s vice president, the chamber will play its due role in empowering women economically and socially. Businesswomen, she said, can project a softer image of war-torn Pakistan abroad, and work towards earning a respectable livelihood and acknowledgement for their work. Bano pledged WCC&I will help women from all backgrounds in developing links with customers and traders so that they get the opportunity to introduce their products in local and international markets.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2015.