ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Women’s Council is encouraging and helping women to participate in progress of the country especially in economic development.
“Coming from diverse backgrounds across Pakistan, together they form a powerful instrument for creating opportunities for greater women’s participation in the Pakistani economy,” American Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale Monday said this while addressing a reception organised by Henna Babar Ali of Packages Limited and friends of the Council to celebrate the organisation’s third anniversary, said an embassy statement.
The Council, which promotes women’s economic participation in Pakistan through education, entrepreneurship and employment, brings together experts in business and academia to develop opportunities for women and girls.
Hale said he applauded the women of the U.S. Pakistan Women’s Council and the many men who shared their goals, for helping to create an enabling environment for women in the Pakistani economy, building bridges from schools to jobs, creating a women-friendly workforce, and helping women entrepreneurs develop and grow their businesses.
The reception included a series of presentations on women in business, economics, and education by representatives of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble; the Women’s Entrepreneurial Centers of Resources, Education, Access, and Training for Economic Empowerment (WECREATE) Centre; the American University-Lahore University of Management Sciences Partnership, and others.
The US-Pakistan Women’s Council is a public-private partnership between the US Department of State and American University, and was introduced by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the UN General Assembly in 2012.
The Council supports study abroad opportunities for young women, including the annual Summer Sisters Exchange program, which sends high school and college women to participate in month-long intensive entrepreneurship, leadership, and science and engineering study programs throughout the United States.
The Council also encourages continuing education for female entrepreneurs through hosting regular training sessions for businesswomen. In addition, the Council regularly brings together members of the private business community to discuss issues facing women in the economy.
