Legislative reforms stressed to strengthen women-led businesses

PESHAWAR: The Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA), in collaboration with the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) Lower Dir hosted a discussion to address strategies designed to support women entrepreneurs and their businesses across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Population Welfare, Liaqat Ali Khan, was chief guest on the occasion, said a press release.The initiative, held under the CIPE-funded project, brought together a diverse group of industry experts, government officials, women entrepreneurs, business community representatives, the Economic Development Unit members, media, TEVTA officials, elected council members of the local government and civil society organizations.

Project Manager, Khalfan Khattak, underscored CGPA’s commitment to empowering women’s chambers of commerce by fostering an enabling environment that promotes participatory democracy and opens reliable opportunities for women-led businesses at the provincial level.

Liaqat Ali Khan highlighted the importance of creating a more inclusive and supportive legislative environment for women entrepreneurs. He advocated for enhanced collaboration between key government departments, including Population, Commerce and Industries, and Technical Education, to amend existing trade-related acts and policies for more progressive economic growth.

The special assistant emphasized the effective implementation of the inclusive provisions of the KP Urban Policy 2030, ensuring tangible benefits for women entrepreneurs, youth, and marginalized groups.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Bashir Khan emphasized the vital role of district administration in strengthening local business ecosystems. He discussed the district’s initiatives under the CM Reforms Agenda and KP Urban Policy 2030, outlining steps to streamline regulatory processes and create enabling environments for women-led businesses.

The official pledged to provide office space to WCCI on government premises for better public visibility and outreach.

SP investigation Dir Lower, Rasheed Ahmed, emphasized the critical need for integrating women into policing and Dispute Resolution Councils.Such inclusion is vital not only for equitable representation but also for building public trust and ensuring access to justice, particularly for women entrepreneurs navigating unique challenges in the business sector, Rasheed added.

Senior Vice-President of WCCI Lower Dir, Shahezat spoke about the role of women’s chambers in revenue generation at the district level. She outlined the barriers women-led businesses face and the importance of targeted support mechanisms to help overcome these challenges, enabling more women to participate in economic activities.

Maqsood Mazhar, Research Manager for Operations at the Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC) University of Malakand, emphasized the critical role of bridging academic ideas with market realities to drive economic growth and entrepreneurship.

Ms Jamania, principal of Government Vocational Technical College, said that investing in technical education and skills development was a transformative pathway to economic prosperity and social advancement.