April 20, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1429

HARIPUR, April 19: The district government set up a Meena Bazaar at the office of district finance officer here on Saturday in connection with Jashn-i-Hazara. District nazim Yousaf Ayub Khan inaugurated the bazaar.

Women artisan-cum-entrepreneurs displayed their handicrafts in the bazaar which attracted a large number of female shoppers from different parts of the district. Few non governmental organisations also established their stalls, displaying the local embroidery.

Dr Iqbal Begum, organiser of Meena Bazaar, told Dawn that district government had been organising Meena Bazaar in Haripur for the last several years to promote local embroidery and handicrafts. She said that the handwork of local artisans was of unique nature but owing to lack of exposure women of this area were unable to get access to market in the big urban centres.

Terming the handicrafts as a so urce of income generation, she said that women should be encouraged so that they could come up with full confidence and achieve economic empowerment. Dr Iqbal said that women entrepreneurs could help lessen the menace of unemployment and poverty in the area.