KP Govt Active to Help Businesswomen from Merged Areas Develop Market Linkages

The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with support from USAID and technical assistance from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), brought together as many as 240 women business owners from the areas of erstwhile FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] merged with the province to support them in creating market linkages to develop their businesses. The women being trained in business startups, food processing, and carpet weaving under the initiative belong to Khyber, Kurram, Bajaur and Mohmand districts. The learning environment in this activity facilitates trainees, field workers from the provincial Social Welfare Department and representatives of the business community to exchange ideas on product development and establish robust market linkages. “Based on the findings of a recent baseline survey, we are building women’s confidence and resourcefulness to deal with social barriers,” said Program Manager UNDP’s Merged Areas Governance Project, Raluca Eddon, adding, “Skills like financial literacy, business knowledge, product development and group management, coupled with leadership training will not only enable them to run successful and sustainable enterprises from their homes but also to train other women within their communities.” Secretary KP Department of Social Welfare, Special Education & Women Empowerment, Nasheeta Mohsin, observed that the working womenfolk and women entrepreneurs in the merged areas faced numerous challenges due to various factors including limited or no exposure to the markets. She said, “The KP government appreciates USAID and UNDP for their innovative and context-specific interventions to help us overcome these challenges.” Building on this pilot intervention, the KP government intends to scale up the program to the remaining merged areas and sub-divisions in the coming years, she pledged.