KARACHI, March 21: Speakers at a workshop on Tuesday urged the women entrepreneurs to further sharpen their skills in business management and marketing so that they could compete in the cut-throat competitive international markets.

They were speaking at the conclusion of the four-day training workshop on Development of Entrepreneurship in OIC Countries that was organized jointly by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Islamic Development bank, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), and Ecommerce Gateway.

The theme of the workshop was creating a road-map to guide women in SMEs to access learning through technology, which was held parallel to the 3rd Textile Asia 2006 – International textile and Garment Machinery Show, at the Karachi Expo Centre.

The speakers also urged the women entrepreneurs, particularly from the OIC countries, to form a network to share information, which was crucial in business so that they can benefit from each others’ knowledge.

Attiya Nawazish Ali of ICCI, Iqbal A Kidwai of SMEDA, and two participants Ragia Mohamed Ehdelhalim (from Sudan), Betty Byamugisha (Ugenda) and others also spoke. Sixteen women from Iran, Jordan, Sudan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Nigeria, Uganda, Mali, Mauritania, Uzbekistan and 14 from Pakistan participated in the four-day training workshop.

A beautiful fireworks show was also organized after he concluding ceremony at the Expo Centre.