PESHAWAR: Women entrepreneurs from Afghanistan on Tuesday called for benefiting from each other’s experiences through formal exchange of women business delegations between their country and Pakistan.

They also demanded removal of obstacles to improve access to businesses and provide equal opportunities for women from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Afghan women entrepreneurs, led by president of Peace through Business (PTB) Network Kobra Dastgirzada, expressed theses views during their visit to the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI), Peshawar. Other members of the Afghan delegation included Farah Karimi, vice-president of the PTB Network, and board members Freshta Hazeq, Massoma Jafari and Farah Naz Faizi.

The delegation met with WCCI chairperson Ms Fitrath Ilyas Bilour, its president Tasneem Zahir Shah and others.

Kobra Dastgirzada said that the main objective of the visit was to learn from experiences of women entrepreneurs of Peshawar and members of the chamber to replicate the idea of establishment of a women chamber in Kabul and to provide maximum opportunities to Afghan women to start businesses.

She said that her organisation had been playing a role in imparting skill training to Afghan women and sending them to the US for advanced training courses. She said that since establishment of the network in 2007over 400 women had been trained who were now running their own businesses and contributing to the Afghan economy.

The PTB Network president said that Afghan businesswomen wanted better interaction with entrepreneurs of Pakistan, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to learn from each other’s experience and play effective role in bolstering economic relations between the two countries.

Farah Karimi said that her organisation was focusing on empowerment of marginalised women and building their capacity in various skills through the special training programme.