By Faiza Tehseen ISLAMABAD, March 2 (INP-WealthPK): The Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peshawar (WCCIP) and the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) have joined hands to promote women entrepreneurship. Shahida Parveen, president of Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Peshawar (WCCIP), told WealthPK, that recently a WCCIP delegation visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), where the two bodies signed a memorandum of understanding to make joint efforts to resolve the problems women are facing in launching business ventures. “The two chambers will mutually work for ensuring participation of women entrepreneurs in international trade fairs and exhibitions to market their products,” she said. According to the WCCIP president, the two chambers will make efforts to find out investors for women entrepreneurs to help them launch their ventures. “The chambers will also strive to market the products of women entrepreneurs.” Shahida Parveen said 500 women have become active members of the chamber in a short span of three years. “More than a decade ago, there was no such concept of women entrepreneurship, even in cities like Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. However, it is heartening that now women in the capital city are not only getting modern education but also taking an active part in trade and business activities, thus enabling them to become economically empowered and support their families financially. Now, most of them are able to run their households as participants or on their own,” Parveen explained, while referring to the contribution the women chamber has made towards women empowerment since its establishment three years ago. “Women use the platform of WCCIP to explore new opportunities, to enhance their businesses and grow as entrepreneurs,” she said. Sharing her views with WealthPK, Saima Amjad, Vice-President and master trainer of WCCIP, said, “Only 1% of Pakistani women are part of economic mainstream. This situation is keeping them from realising their true potential.” Saima Amjad suggested the government formulate favourable trade and business policies to facilitate women in launching ventures to enable them to become active part of economic mainstream. She also emphasised the government should take measures to promote women entrepreneurship, especially in the newly-merged districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa keeping in mind the region’s traditions and customs. Saima Amjad also stressed the need for the government to ensure easy availability of banking loans for women to help them grow economically and contribute to the national GDP. Women entrepreneurs play a crucial role in economic growth of a country, but a developing country like Pakistan has a very low number of working-age women involved in entrepreneurship despite the fact that the country has almost half of its population comprising women. According to a World Bank female workforce report, during the fiscal year 2020-21, Pakistan’s women workforce population was between 20-22%. That shows that there is less focus and efforts aimed at women empowerment and ensuring their role in economic development.