Pakistan, January 4, 2024: Karandaaz successfully conducted specialised training sessions, in
collaboration with DEMO, to train 145 women entrepreneurs in various cities across Pakistan,
including Hunza, Gilgit, Peshawar, Hyderabad and Multan. The “Dissemination of Information on
Financial and Business Services to Women Entrepreneurs” initiative has made significant strides in
empowering women entrepreneurs across Pakistan by addressing their enterprise development needs
and equipping them with vital financial knowledge and skills to foster business growth.
Taking it further, Karandaaz has also launched a comprehensive Women Entrepreneurs Hub
(WeHub), wehub.karandaaz.com.pk, which hosts a wealth of valuable resources, including
instructional videos and materials offering essential financial and business knowledge for women
entrepreneurs. These resources are readily accessible on the Karandaaz website, ensuring that women
entrepreneurs from all corners of Pakistan can equally benefit from this invaluable knowledge treasure
trove to foster their business growth and gain financial acumen. WeHub represents a vital step in
democratising access to crucial information and skills in the world of entrepreneurship.
Commenting on the successful completion of specialised training sessions, Sharjeel Murtaza, the
Director for Digital Financial Services at Karandaaz, said, “The success of innovation can only be as
much as its adoption. Financial and digital literacy is essential for increasing financial inclusion, but
unfortunately, it has been severely lacking in Pakistan. To address that barrier, particularly from a
women’s financial inclusion perspective, Karandaaz Pakistan has developed WeHub — an
information hub to equip up-and-coming women entrepreneurs with essential financial and digital
knowledge.”
Focused on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), this project began with a
comprehensive needs analysis involving women entrepreneurs from diverse business backgrounds.
The insights gathered during this analysis served as the foundation for developing a specialised
curriculum tailored to meet the unique requirements of women entrepreneurs. It covers quintessential
topics such as financial services, taxation, government services, legal compliance, and trade-specific
skills.
The participation of women entrepreneurs throughout Pakistan acknowledged the need for the
program and its success. Additionally, the project forged partnerships with local stakeholders to
amplify its impact, collaborating with organisations such as the Karakoram Area Development
Organisation (KADO), NIC Peshawar, NIC Hyderabad, Women Chamber of Commerce Multan, and
Multan Matters.
During the project, representatives from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) conducted mentoring
sessions and provided valuable insights into SBP policies and schemes to promote MSME financing.
Furthermore, private banks including Bank of Punjab, Bank Alfalah, Bank of Khyber, United Bank
Limited, Habib Bank Limited, and Askari Bank also played an essential role in guiding MSMEs on
securing loans and addressing other banking-related matters.
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