ISLAMABAD,(daily paklish): Women’s empowerment programs must go beyond training to connect women with jobs, market opportunities and access to finance, while recognizing their care responsibilities, experts said at the 29th Sustainable Development Conference hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
Chairing the session on women’s skills and livelihoods, MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik identified industry-relevant skills, public safety, market links and access to capital as priorities for increasing women’s economic participation.
Rehan Saeed, Executive General Manager and CEO of L’Oréal Pakistan, said women make up about half of the country’s population, yet their labour force participation is only around 24 per cent. Sharing experiences from the company’s community impact programs, he stressed that skill development programs were most valuable when linked to employment, mentorship and business support.
Dr. Najma Afzal, Punjab’s Women Ombudsperson, acknowledged L’Oréal’s initiatives in vocational beauty skills, digital and financial literacy, and addressing street harassment, noting their contribution to women’s dignity and economic independence. She called for effective enforcement of workplace harassment laws and for government institutions to lead by example, including by ensuring confidence in grievance mechanisms.
Dr. Rakhshinda Perveen, a public health and gender justice expert, added that there is a dire need to overcome the legal, institutional, social and economic barriers that limit women’s participation in the workforce.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Van Nguyen cited the success of an initiative in Vietnam that supports women micro-entrepreneurs through 100 cooperatives, linking them with digital tools, markets and mentoring. Women’s economic empowerment, she said, should give them greater security, choice and control over their earnings.
Jahan Ara Manzoor Wattoo, former Vice Chairperson of the Punjab Social Protection Authority, presented the Khud Mukhtar program as an example of grassroots support. It provides young married couples with productive assets worth up to Rs150,000, such as livestock, tools or business equipment.