PESHAWAR: The women entrepreneurs belonging to Afghanistan and local female business persons shared their experiences at a one-day workshop and exhibition here on Thursday.
The Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) and Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) had organised the event for women Afghan refugee entrepreneurs with the support of the UNHCR and the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees.
The purpose of the event was to promote collaboration between Afghan refugee women entrepreneurs with local counterparts for sustainable livelihood development.
Head of UNHCR KP Gayrat Ahmadshoev, Afghan refugees KP Commissioner Mohammad Abbas, WCCI President Azra Jamshed, Bank of Khyber Managing Director Muhammad Ali Gulfaraz, representatives of First Women Bank, KP Board of Investment and Trade, executive body members of WCCI, local communities and Afghan refugees attended the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, WCCI President Azra Jamshed hoped such events would bridge the gap between host communities and refugees, creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
Afghan refugees KP Commissioner Mohammad Abbas said that societies could get the true essence of social and economic development by allowing equal participation to women in all walks of life and minimising the social barriers that act as a glass ceiling.
Gayrat Ahmadshoev appreciated the WCCI’s role in promoting women’s empowerment and encouraged such healthy events for the development of Afghan refugee women since they faced cruel realities of life and were in immense need of inclusive support from all the stakeholders.
During the event, the participants, especially the Afghan refugee women entrepreneurs, were oriented in detail on the entrepreneurial mindset and business modelling, financial literacy and the importance of digital platforms in business expansion and development.
Besides orientation, the successful local entrepreneurs’ women shared their experiences with Afghan refugee women.
The Afghan refugees and local entrepreneurs’ women had also displayed their hand-made products on various stalls that include beautician-related stuff, artificial jewellery, handicrafts, home textile products, and stone works.
The products were appreciated by all the dignitaries.
SRSP Programme Manager Operations Syed Aftab Ahmad thanked all the participants. Shields and certificates were distributed among participants and guests.
Such workshops and exhibitions are being organized under the UNHCR-funded livelihood project, implemented by the SRSP across 43 Afghan refugee villages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The aim of the project is to upscale the overall livelihoods of Afghan refugees with an inclusive approach to promote self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.
Under the project, a total of 2060 Afghan refugees including 841 male and 1219 women, were facilitated with various livelihood-centred interventions including certified vocational skill training, income generating training, business management training, in-kind support to expansion/development of small-scale home-based businesses and market linkages.