25 January 2004	Sunday	02 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI: The employment prospects for women in both public and private sector have improved over time. This shows that the gender bias against women in the job market is receding.

The women participation in economic activity rose to 9.9 per cent in 2001-02 from 9.3 per cent the previous year, the latest Labour Force Survey of Federal Bureau of Statistics showed.

The unemployment rate was hovering around 8.3 per cent in 2001-02 from 7.8pc in 1999-2000, but for women, though there is no statistics available specifically showing the employment trend in women, the opportunities are certainly much more than what they were a few years back.

Dr Salima R. Ahmad, president Pakistan Federation of Business and Professional Women's Organization (PFBPWO), talking to Dawn said that the number of working women was increasing. "But there is a need to divert the flow of women workforce to business and trade which would speed up the economic activity in the country, resultantly the economy would grows at much faster rate," she added.

But to encourage women to come and set up small and medium enterprises in all sectors of the economy, she said, the government should offer special incentives to women.

With regard to upgrading skills of women workforce, she said that it could easily be achieved by establishing training institutes, technical centres, and vocational centres.-M.K.