ISLAMABAD/Mahnoor Ansar
The Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IWCCI) successfully hosted the 6th Islamabad Expo 2024, a landmark event that brought together women entrepreneurs from 20 cities across Pakistan to showcase their talent, innovation, and creativity.
Held at the Pak China Friendship Center, the two-day expo saw participation from women-owned businesses from Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur, Mardan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Sialkot, Hunza, Dera Ghazi Khan, Skardu, Jhelum, and more.
The Islamabad Expo 2024 was evidence of the growing entrepreneurial spirit among businesswomen in Pakistan. Hundreds of exhibitors displayed various creative crafts and innovative products, highlighting the country’s cultural richness and diversity.
Visitors experienced everything from handcrafted textiles and jewellery to modern fashion and artisanal goods. Women from remote regions such as Gilgit, Hunza, and Skardu showcased their traditional crafts. At the same time, urban entrepreneurs brought cutting-edge solutions in beauty, technology, and lifestyle products.
The Expo featured panel discussions on financial empowerment for women entrepreneurs, with participation from leading financial institutions, including Askari Bank, Bank of Khyber, Jazz, and Care.
These sessions provided valuable insights into financial literacy, banking solutions, and the importance of digital payment platforms, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.
The Expo attracted thousands of visitors who came to explore the diverse products, engage with women entrepreneurs, and participate in insightful discussions. The event underscored the importance of community support and networking in advancing the role of women in the economy.
The Expo was a shining example of IWCCI’s continued efforts to empower women entrepreneurs.
MNA Romina Khurshid, President FPCCI Atif Ikram Sheikh, and President ICCI Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari inaugurated the event.
At the occasion, they said that women’s empowerment is a noble cause and that the efforts of the founder president of IWCCI Samina Fazil, spanned over decades, are highly laudable.
They said that every woman has the right to exercise her rights and to be protected from violence and harmful practices in both the development and humanitarian contexts.
Activities that promote women’s self-worth, right to determine their choices, access to opportunities and resources, right and power to control their lives both within and outside the home, and ability to influence social change are very necessary, the speakers added.
In Pakistan, gaps in empowerment are seen at the earliest stages of a girl’s life. At every step, girls, adolescents, and women face challenges and obstacles in making their own choices and determining their path in the lives they wish to live, which must be changed, they said.
