KARACHI: The members of the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) have pledged to create more inclusive workplaces and empower women in the workforce across Pakistan.

Over the next three years, OICCI members will focus on establishing a conducive environment that enhances gender equality and develop women for high-level corporate leadership.

The pledge was announced at an event on Tuesday in collaboration with UN Women as part of an ambition to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals towards gender equality and to serve as an inspiration for businesses in Pakistan and beyond.

OICCI President Khalid Mansoor highlighted, “OICCI members have a strong commitment towards gender balancing and have pledged to support initiatives towards empowering women in the socio-economic growth of Pakistan.”

Jamshed Kazi, country representative of UN Women Pakistan, mentioned that “empowering women within the growing corporate sector is a challenge where, we believe, the private sector can be the ‘agents of change’ to build a healthy environment where gender equality is considered a reality, encouraging more women to gain confidence in their ability to assume senior management positions, including as CEOs and members of boards of directors”.

CEOs and senior management of multi-national companies spoke about best practices of their companies that help them retain female talent and emphasised on its importance to be promoted in all organisations for gender equality.

These best practices included providing security and support for relocating, work with home-day care, maximising their potential by making lean-in circles and formulating female-orientated mentorship network.

OICCI is the collective voice of major foreign investors in Pakistan with 193 members from 35 different countries and a presence in 14 sectors of the economy.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017