First Women’s Expo opens in Peshawar
PESHAWAR: The wife of the NWFP governor, Begum Ghazala Owais Ghani, on Saturday inaugurated the first-ever Khyber Women’s Expo at Dean’s Trade Centre.
According to an official press release, the Expo is aimed at encouraging female entrepreneurs in the province.
The three-day Expo was organised by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan in collaboration with the Mashaloona Development Programme. More than 70 stalls displaying different products have been set up at the Expo by women’s organisations.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Begum Ghazala Ghani urged women to come forward and play their role in the progress and development of the province and the country.
She said that during the past 7 or 8 years, women in Pakistan had been offered many incentives and initiatives to participate in national development in every field.
‘Good initiative’: Begum Ghazala described the Expo as a good initiative and hoped that it would be made a permanent feature in years to come. She offered every help and assistance to the women entrepreneurs of the province on her own and the governor’s behalf.
She said Islam did not prohibit women from taking part in trade and business activities. She cited many examples from Islamic history and said that these testified that women could become traders and businesspeople living within the ambit of Islamic teachings and local customs and traditions.
She pointed out that female education in the province had considerably improved, which, she added, was a good omen and a pleasant change.
Praising the efforts of the organisers, Begum Ghazala hoped that the Expo would go a long way to encourage the educated female segment of society to work more devotedly in all the social development fields as well as in trade, business, and industry.
TDA Director General Zahir Shah highlighted the role, activities, and performance of the authority and said that such exhibitions were part of the overall government strategy for a gender-balanced approach towards development.
Miss Farah Naz, chairperson of the Mashaloona Development Programme, and Dr Taha of Sarhad University also spoke on the occasion.
Later, Begum Ghazala went round the stalls, where she talked to the lady stallholders and also did some shopping.
Source: Daily Times
Date:3/2/2008
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