ISLAMABAD: Ms Shaza Fatima Khawaja, MNA and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs inaugurated the ‘We Camp Festival’ to support and celebrate 100 women entrepreneurs on December 10-11 at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

According to an official statement issued here on Monday, it was organized in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Ministry of Commerce. Over one hundred home-based women entrepreneurs set up their stalls, displayed and sold their various handmade products.

Ms Shaza Fatima Khawaja, showed her support as she visited the stalls. In her address, she highlighted gender inequalities in economic activities and ensured that PM’s youth program will specially focus on giving loans and opportunities to women entrepreneurs.

“Women face immense difficulties in accessing financial opportunities and funding. Accordingly, the PM’s Youth Program is working to make financial growth a possibility for women”, she said. She urged the TDAP to take initiatives to make women-owned businesses export ready. The festival was open for all walks of life. Citizens of Islamabad and Rawalpindi visited the festival to support and celebrate home-based women entrepreneurs.

TDAP displayed a stall for information and resources to help women to take their business to the next level. The festival helped women entrepreneurs grow their businesses and expand their market outreach. Special focus was paid to reaching marginalized communities of women. Accordingly, ‘We Camp’ partnered with the SEED Program to expand opportunities to twenty women entrepreneurs from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the festival.

Participation of women in the labour forces is 1/4th of the men’s participation in the labour force. Women face mobility and cultural challenges to advance their careers and entrepreneurial pursuits. The marketplace and festivals by ‘We Camp’ are initiatives towards reducing such gender inequalities in Pakistan.