ISLAMABAD: Women entrepreneurs, capacity-building organisations and corporate executives on Friday shared their knowledge at a ‘Supply Chain Diversity Expo’ to expand their businesses and networking through a platform provided by the US-Pakistan Women’s Council (USPWC).

Women’s economic involvement is critical to achieving sustained economic growth and stability both in Pakistan and the United States, US Ambassador David Hale said.

“A country cannot achieve its full economic potential without the participation of its entire workforce. Women’s economic inclusion is not only the right thing to do, it is the profitable thing to do. Many studies have documented how including women in hiring and supply chains directly benefits national economic growth,” Ambassador Hale said.

He thanked USPWC’s Corporate Member Companies for helping break new ground on supply chain diversity and helping to support and mentor women’s businesses.

The USPWC is a model of how to provide low-cost, high-impact assistance to mobilise female talent, build international economic ties and promote economic growth and social stability — all in advancement of the long-term national security of America and Pakistan, ,” said Ambassador Hale.

Representatives of private sector briefed entrepreneurs on their procurement processes and offered to help interested female suppliers connect with relevant procurement teams in their companies.

During an inter-action session, executives of private sector observed that ‘when Pakistani women succeed, we all win’.

USPWC intends to facilitate continuing connections through its networking platform and working with a private sector entity to host a second supply chain diversity event in Karachi later this year.

Women entrepreneurs attending the event had received training at ‘Wecreate’ Pakistan, and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) through the US Embassy-supported Pakistan Women Entrepreneur Programme (PWEP) managed in partnership with American University. Participants from the World Bank’s Women entrepreneurship training programme, conducted at Government College University, also took part in the event.

‘Wecreate’ has provided expert mentorship and training for women. The ‘Wecreate’ Centre has established its place in Pakistan’s entrepreneurial community.

The expo is the second in a series of events planned under the USPWC supply chain diversity initiative, which aims to help women-owned businesses access sustainable markets by linking them with corporate procurement representatives. The first of these events occurred last year in Lahore.

The expo will support Pakistani women in expanding their businesses by providing them with an opportunity to network with invited representatives from multinational and local companies.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2017