KARACHI, Sept 11: Display and resource centres would soon be established in this city to encourage women small entrepreneurs as part of the government’s programme for women’s economic empowerment.

This was stated by Adviser to the Prime Minister Nilofer Bakhtiar while speaking at the concluding session of a two-day workshop here on Thursday. The workshop titled ‘Advocacy on Women Rights and Enhancement of Status of Women Through Micro-entrepreneurs’ was organized by Working Women Multipurpose Cooperative Society in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Development and Social Welfare and Special Education.

She said that at these centres, to be established in each capital city, women entrepreneurs would not find a place to display goods produced by them but also have marketing facilities under the supervision of officials of the Ministry of Women Development.

“These officials will get orders and forward to the concerned parties,” she elaborated.

The resource centres would have facility of ‘one-window operation’ where qualified young business managers would be available to help the women get loans from banks and undertake other paper work related to their business. Besides, she said, telephone, fax and Internet facilities would be available there.

“We have already started work on these centres,” she added.

Nilofer Bakhtiar said that the federal Ministry for Women Development had planned to launch two pilot projects for women empowerment, namely ‘Hunarmand Aurat’ for urban women and ‘Jafakash Aurat’ for rural women.

These centres are the first step towards Hunarmand Aurat project. The Government is planning establishment of industrial zones purely for women entrepreneurs and the issue has been discussed with all chambers of commerce and industry in the country. The response has been very positive, she said.

She said that the ministry was striving to provide loans to women at minimum possible interest rates. However, there were many problems in the way.—APP