Are you a talented woman with expertise in crafts or designing? Are you lacking the business skills of presenting your work to people? Are you someone who is looking for a support or boost to uplift your business? WomenX is the right place for you. WomenX is trying to unleash the exponential power of the women in Pakistan. It is a World Bank funded Global initiative whose aim is to support the women business owners by improving their entrepreneurial ecosystem. They are providing women with opportunities to grow by giving them the education of business, mentorship and various networking opportunities.
WomenX is the only Pakistan women’s entrepreneurship program that has been added as a nominee for the category of “Empowered Women” in GSC 3S awards along with fantastic global projects like Avante, Change, ARK and many more. This award honors the Sustainability and Socially responsible sourcing actions and communities that are working to empower people.
Globally, the women-owned enterprises are steadily growing and are contributing to the national economies growth and household incomes. However, women entrepreneurs are still facing many constraints socially and financially that are an obstacle towards their dreams of growing themselves and their business. WomenX recognizes the challenges that the women of Pakistan are facing and are trying to facilitate them by connecting them with financial institutions.
Programmes Run By WomenX
Presently there are two country projects ongoing in Pakistan and Nigeria.
- WomenX Entrepreneurship Programme: This program provides an integrated package of services to skillful and potential women entrepreneurs, giving them directions and help to achieve significant improvement in their business performance.
- Women’s INC (Inspiration Network, and Conversation): This program implements a nationwide public discourse campaign whose aim is to positively change the perceptions about the women entrepreneurs, giving women access to new and relevant networks.
Mission of WomenX
They aim to unleash the power of women entrepreneurs by:
- Boosting the productivity and sales, growing their staff, helping them enter new local and international markets and help them identify the profitable new opportunities.
- Teaching them how to design effective marketing strategies and develop stronger support networks.
- Gives them an opportunity to meet successful entrepreneurs for guidance and support.
- Help women build an action plan for starting and growing their business.
- Help women in earning a certificate from the IBA’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED).
The project Manager for WomenX Nimrah Karim says, that the idea behind the program is to give skillful women a package of services.
While entrepreneurship as a field is thriving in Pakistan, requisite programs to help existing women-led businesses aren’t available, We want to help build capacity for this segment – Nimrah Karim
The first training started on September 2014, which had 39 women participants and then the second training session was held in Janurary 2015. More trainings are expected to come in August 2015 and Janurary 2016 respectively. One hundred women entrepreneurs have benefited from this initiative and now WomenX plans to expand this program throughout the country.
