China a role model for women empowerment: FWCCI chief

Islamabad: President Faisalabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FWCCI) Nighat Shahid said on Sunday evening that China was a role model for women empowerment.

She highlighted the massive deployment in China during the last few decades where men and women worked shoulder to shoulder for the sake of their country.

“In Pakistan we need the same spirit like China. At this point the role of women is way behind men. We need to bring them (women) on par with the men. While we (Pakistan) has a lot to learn from China, we also need to see how their women worked hard and played their role in development,” she added.

Nighat Shahid noted that unless the women were given the same opportunities like men, the progress of any nation will be slowed down.

“It is encouraging that Pakistani women are emerging now in all fields. Hopefully, the women will have a stronger role in the future. The FWCCI is doing its bit in this regard,” she remarked.

Earlier, a statement by the FWCCI said the FWCCI was organizing a conference on the role of women in the national economy and women empowerment today (May 30).

The theme of one-day conference is ‘Women Economy-Empowering World.’

The conference is being attended by the presidents of 24 women’s chambers across the country, members of the executive body, foreign ambassadors and key members of the government’s economic team, President FWCCI Nighat Shahid said.

Nighat said that Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail is the chief guest in the conference besides whom other ministers, including Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar are participating.

The purpose of the conference is to discuss the role of women in the national economy and business, and to highlight their problems and to bring these issues before the higher authorities.

She observed that currently the volume of e-commerce and online business markets in the world was US $7 trillion, where there were vast job opportunities for women.

Nighat said stressed that more money could be earned from less investment in that sector, besides it was also the cause of growth in domestic foreign exchange.

She said that the government would provide internet and Information Technology (IT) facilities to women in remote areas, which would lead to growth in the field of freelancing in the country and boost the economy of the country.

She contended that the women in this sector could introduce domestic products through trade in the global market and increase the volume of domestic trade to take Pakistan out of the trade deficit.

She said that at present women had a vital role in every sector of the country including business, and women formed 51% of the country’s population.