Women economic empowerment vital for sustainable growth: Zikiria A Zia

ISLAMABAD(Sub News)A high-level delegation of the International Business Women’s Association (IBWA) Uzbekistan, led by its Chairwoman Ms. Gulnora Makhmudova, visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Thursday and held discussions on promoting women-led entrepreneurship, trade and investment between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. The delegation comprised Ms. Nodira Begim Mukhamadalieva, Head of the International Department, Ms. Dilyafruz Tashmukhamedova, Chairwoman of the Tashkent City Branch, Ms. Anjelika Ogay, Project Manager, and Khalid Taimour Akram Advisor to Chairman Habib Rafiq Group.
Welcoming the delegation, ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia said that women’s economic empowerment was essential for achieving sustainable economic growth, prosperity and inclusive development. He said Pakistan and Uzbekistan had considerable potential to expand business-to-business linkages and assured ICCI’s fullest cooperation in facilitating B2B meetings between women entrepreneurs of the two countries. He emphasized that regular exchange of business delegations and greater interaction among women entrepreneurs could help transform the existing bilateral goodwill into tangible trade and investment opportunities.
Ms. Gulnora Makhmudova, Chairwoman of IBWA Uzbekistan, highlighted the measures being taken by the Uzbek government to promote women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship. She said women constituted 40 percent of the total number of entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan and were benefiting from a range of supportive programmes and initiatives. She invited Pakistani women entrepreneurs to participate in the B2B Women Conference being organized by IBWA Uzbekistan in Tashkent in April next year, saying the event would provide an important platform for networking, business matchmaking and exploring joint ventures.
ICCI Senior Vice President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chatha and Vice President Mohammad Waqas Khan emphasized the need for sustained institutional cooperation to promote business relations between the two countries. Executive Members Ms. Nageena Khaleeque, Abrar ul Haq and ICCI member Prof. Dr. Johria Azhar also shared their views and identified several untapped areas of cooperation between Pakistani and Uzbek women entrepreneurs. They also proposed establishing a joint working group to maintain regular contact, identify business opportunities and facilitate practical business linkages.
Khalid Taimour Akram briefed the participants on the group’s initiatives aimed at strengthening economic and business linkages and assured full cooperation in bringing women entrepreneurs of Pakistan and Uzbekistan closer. He stressed that structured B2B engagement, delegation exchanges and institutional collaboration could open new avenues for joint ventures and investment in diverse sectors.
The meeting was also attended by Executive members Shahid Abbasi, Mian Kamran Ali Shah Kakakhel, Syed Imran Bukhari, former Executive Member Waseem Chaudhry and other members of the business community.