Women, Leadership & the Economy in South Asia Conference Report Submitted By Charu Chadha, Editor, Business 360 Supported By: Sunaina Budathoki Organized by South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF) Kathmandu 19-20 October 2016 Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Conference Rationale ............................................................................................................................ 4 Conference Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 5 Issues Covered ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Inaugural Event ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Talk Program: South Asian Women Leaders – The Change Makers ................................................... 7 Conference Day 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Session 1: Role of national federations and chambers as a force in the economic development of women, best model projects ................................................................................................................. 10 Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Green Industrial Park Jyothi Rao, Vice President, Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP), India ................ 11 Developing Goat Value Chains in Collaboration with USAID Shireen Arshad Khan, Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bahawalpur, Pakistan .............. 12 Integrated Gramin Bank Module and Fair Trade principles MANUSHI .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Developing Sustainable Supply Chains and Enhancing Rural Livelihoods with Medicinal Plants and Herbs Damche Dem, President, Bhutan Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAOWE) ......................... 13 Sheuti Nasreen Awal Mintoo, President Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh........................ 13 Session 2: Women Entrepreneurs Linking Rural Women Producers to Access Local and International Markets........................................................................................................................... 14 Fiber Weave Products Shyam Badan Shrestha, Founder and Promoter, Nepal Knotcraft Centre .......................................... 14 Linking with Sheuti to Reach Products to National and International Markets Salma Masud, President, Dishari Foundation, Bangladesh ................................................................ 15 Nectar Fresh by Ms. Chayaa Nanjapp Suchaitra Eashwar, Catalyst for Women Entrepreneurs, India ........................................................... 16 Ms. B.R. Vasudha of Shell Apparels, 1993 Jyoti Balakrishna, President, Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE) .......... 17 Maria B. Naheed Masud, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Pakistan ..... 18 Sandra Wanduragala of Selyn, 1991 Indira Kulatilake, Former Chairperson, Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Sri Lanka. 19 Conference Day 2 ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Session 1: Women Entrepreneurs linking rural women producers to access local and international markets ........................................................................................................................... 21 Mahi Enterprises, Nepal Rita Bhandari ...................................................................................................................................... 22 Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Developing Sustainable Supply Chain and Enhancing Rural Livelihoods in collaboration with BAOWE Kinlay Tshering, Chief Horticulture Officer, Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, Government of Bhutan ................................................................................................................................................. 22 Juweyriya Wajdhy’s culinary business Mariyam Mohamad Didi, Addu Women’s Association, Maldives ..................................................... 23 Siali Leaf Plates, Orissa Rajni Agarwal, President, Federation of Indian Women Entrepreneurs, India................................... 23 Session 2: Sharing Gender Friendly Policies to Promote Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership ............................................................................................................................................. 24 Hon. Minister Hameeda Waheed Ud Din, Pakistan ............................................................................ 25 Dr Bina Pradhan, Gender Specialist and Socio Economist................................................................. 26 Nilufar Chowdhury, Former Member of Parliament .......................................................................... 26 Archana Bhatnagar, Managing Director, Haylide Chemicals & Madhya Pradesh Association of Women Entrepreneurs (MAWE) ........................................................................................................ 27 Hon. Kinlay Om, Member of Parliament, Bhutan .............................................................................. 27 Sheeza Imad, Association of Maldives Working Women for Economic Development, Maldives .... 27 Indira Kulatilake, Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce, Sri Lanka ..................................... 28 Homa Usmany, Executive Director, Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan’s Development (LEAD), Afghanistan ......................................................................................................................................... 28 Session 3: Group Work: Recommendations on gender friendly policies to promote women’s entrepreneurship and regional trade in South Asia........................................................................... 29 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 31 Introduction South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF), a SAARC Recognized Body, is a member based regional body representing national women entrepreneurs’ associations/organizations; institutions working towards the socio-economic sectors in the SAARC Region. SAWDF membership is based on organizations with extensive work around women’s entrepreneurship. The forum has organized several workshops, seminars, annual forums and conferences for networking and capacity building, disseminating information, and identifying common issues. SAWDF has the experience and expertise in bringing together a consortium of women led institutions through SAWDF Chapters in South Asia. The South Asian Women Development Forum is incorporated under the Organization Registration Act 1977, is an autonomous, nonprofit organization based in Kathmandu, Nepal. SAWDF was granted the status of SAARC Recognized Body by the 36th Session of the SAARC Council Ministers at the 18th SAARC Summit which was held in Kathmandu on 24th of November 2014. As the first and only SAARC Recognized Body working on gender issues, SAWDF facilitates in taking forward the recommendations drawn from the deliberations of national programs, as regional instruments for developing gender policies. SAWDF Work Modality: • Capacity building, training, dialogue and networking at national and regional levels. • Replication of model projects through information dissemination. • Regional workshops to harmonize inputs for preparing best practices in gender policy and institutional frameworks. • Catalyzing strengthening the voice of women for empowerment and gender equality in the South Asian region. • Facilitate taking forward recommendations drawn from deliberations of national programs as regional instruments for developing gender policies to be integrated into regional summits. Conference Rationale SAWDF membership is based on organisations with extensive work around women’s entrepreneurship. SAWDF has the expertise and experience in bringing together a consortium of women led institutions, think tanks, federations and chambers of South Asia to share learning and data about their women’s economic empowerment projects. The forum with its working counterparts have developed a series of cases exploring the limitations that gender sets on women’s engagement in the South Asian economy, including their access to capital and their participation in the SAARC region markets. The conference on WOMEN, LEADERSHIP & THE ECONOMY IN SOUTH ASIA comes at a time when regional integration is being given much impetus yet political constraints are not allowing people of the region to advance intra-regional economic opportunities. Especially women stand particularly vulnerable to these external forces. Timed to take place prior to the 19th SAARC Summit, the conference hopes to draw attention and action to prioritize women’s economic empowerment and leadership in the summit’s deliberations. The conference brought together the strengths of delegates from the eight countries to provide an opportunity to network, share best practices and find areas of collaborative effort to take forward the common goal of advancing women’s entrepreneurship and leadership in the region. Conference Objectives • To identify and prioritise issues of women entrepreneurship, leadership and economic empowerment. • To impact policy change in the region with a focus on gender sensitization. • To provide way forward to deepen regional cooperation and integration for promoting women entrepreneurship and leadership in South Asia. Issues Covered • Sharing of gender friendly policies which have enhanced women entrepreneurship • Role of national women associations, federations and chambers in promoting women entrepreneurship and sharing of best model projects. • Case studies of successful women entrepreneurs from the SAARC region • Delving into issues to provide recommendations to South Asian governments to strengthen trade, gender and technology transfer linkages through better regional cooperation. • Road map for future strategic planning on promoting women entrepreneurship. Inaugural Event The conference held in Kathmandu was preceded by an opening ceremony at the Hotel Yak & Yeti on 19 October. Former Prime Minister and President of Nepali Congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba was the Chief Guest, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Prakash Sharan Mahat was Guest of Honour. The inaugural event was attended by business leaders, heads of organisations and associations, members of civil society, women leaders, the media, conference participants which included the 30 visiting delegates from the SAARC countries. Inaugural Event Sequence: • Welcome and Introduction: Ms Pramila Acharya Rijal, President, SAWDF • Inaugural Remarks: Ms Melissa Williams, Senior Rural Development Specialist – Agriculture Global Practice, South Asia, World Bank • Remarks: Hon. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister, Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal • Remarks: Rt. Hon. Sher Bahadur Deuba, Former Prime Minister • Vote of Thanks: Mrs Yankila Sherpa, Vice President, SAWDF The conference brought together twenty organizations, federations, women’s chambers from all eight SAARC countries. Ms. Pramila Rijal emphasized the need to transform the cultural mind set of South Asia and provide more opportunities to women in the form of policies and quota systems. In 2006, Norway for example, incorporated a quota system whereby corporate houses were mandated to have 40% female representation on their boards. By 2009, this provision had been implemented. Therefore, the government intervention in Norway was considered commendable and instrumental in empowering women. Similar interventions in South Asian countries would significantly empower women and thus, serve as a unifying force to bring South Asia out of the cohort of the poorest regions. Melissa Williams, the Senior Rural Development Specialist in the Agriculture Global Practice, South Asia Region of the World Bank remarked that the conference was a commendable knowledge sharing platform to foster a sense of comprehensive understanding, solidarity and network between the women of South Asia. She stated that gender was central to the corporate strategy of the World Bank and thus was mainstreamed in their development assistance. In case of Nepal, it formed the core of the partnership in the entire program of investment and technical assistance. A report titled ‘More and Better Jobs in South Asia’ by the World Bank identified pressing needs of the region. According to the report, approximately a million new workers would be entering the South Asian economy every month for the next three decades. Given the immense challenge, it was imperative to harness the power of women. Currently, women comprise 49% of the region’s population; however, they are only 36% of the labor force. In addition, only 9% of the small and medium enterprises (SME) are owned by women. Furthermore, a study established that if only Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan opened up their trade, they could generate an annual trade of over US $1 billion. Ms. Williams concluded on the need to identify the knowledge gaps through the conference so as to assist that development community. The guest of honor, Hon. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal emphasized on the region’s tremendous potential for growth. He reiterated that in order to accelerate economic development and harness the full potential of the region, it was imperative to imbibe an inclusive approach, one where women were not marginalized. Despite the current leadership positions of women in Nepal’s context as the President, Speaker of the House and Chief Justice; Mr. Mahat believed that empowerment needed to trickle to the grass roots. Merely ensuring political participation at the parliament, state assembly, local leadership was not sufficient. Furthermore, Mr. Mahat stated that the implementation of the new constitution would provide unprecedented empowerment to women. Rt. Hon’ble Sher Bahadur Deuba, former Prime Minister of Nepal graced the event as the Chief Guest. Hon’ble Mr. Deuba acknowledged that patriarchal norms across South Asia had suppressed women’s rights, dignity and opportunity and diminished them as human beings. This had further narrowed the span of economic possibilities. Therefore, there was an urgent need to encourage women’s participation in the work force by opening economic opportunities, pushing gender equality at the workplace and ensure protection. Furthermore, in order to enable an inclusive institutional architecture, there needs to be a shift in our social values. A special segment was introduced as a preview to the deliberations of the conference in the format of a short talk program that had the participation of women leaders from the region. Talk Program: South Asian Women Leaders – The Change Makers Moderator: Bhushan Dahal, TV personality Panelists: Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, Parliamentarian (Nepal), Hon. Hameeda Waheed ud din, Minister for Women Development (Pakistan), Hon. Kinley Om (Bhutan) and Ms Zakia Wardak, President of Z Plus Group (Afghanistan). Mr. Dahal presented country specific questions to each panelist that focused on why women’s issues had not been addressed definitively despite many women now in authority in the region and gender issues taking centre stage in politics. The participants talked about their countries and highlighted what could be learnt from each other. The inclusion of men in understanding and propagating gender issues was seen as a major force for success. Given that the top three leadership positions in Nepal were occupied by women, Mr Dahal asked Ms. Deuba what she thought were the core problems faced by women and if cosmetic changes such as the occupancy of three most powerful roles sufficient for empowering women. Ms. Deuba believed that while these changes may appear cosmetic in nature, in reality, they required major institutional transformation through advocacy and deliberations. Considering that patriarchal values are embedded in Nepal, a change of that nature was inconceivable while she was growing up. Hence, such positive changes uplift the younger generation of women and enable them to aspire for greater goals. Furthermore, the willingness of Nepalese men to subdue the patriarchal engineering of Nepali society was commendable. Ms. Deuba also emphasized that in addition to affirmative action to empower women, there needs to be an environment that is conducive to growth. The Entrepreneurship Development Fund of Nepal accords women entrepreneurs in 26 districts to access an NPR. 500,000 (approximately US $ 4700). However, accessing the fund was the major challenge. In the context of Pakistan, Hon’ble Hameeda Waheed Ud Din, Minister for Women Development believed that while policies at national level had led to moderate changes in grassroots level; socio-cultural challenges, lack of enabling environment, opportunity and capitals were obstacles to complete transition. Hon’ble Ms. Kinley Om, of member the National Assembly of Bhutan highlighted the incumbent government’s role in is encouraging and empowering the people, particularly women, at large. In addition, economic development has successfully trickled to the grassroots level. The government provides incentives and promotes cottage industries, textiles, fisheries and poultry, dairy. Furthermore, women comprised 56% in the agriculture sector. Thus given their involvement, the policies were bound to positively contribute to the lives of women in grassroots level. Ms. Zakia Wardak, a prominent figure in the business community in Afghanistan was asked if the portrayal of women in Afghanistan was exaggerated by the media, in particular by the western media. Ms. Wardak remarked that it was not as bad as portrayed by mainstream media, however, security threats posed a major challenge to empowering women. Furthermore, given the prolonged conflict, the situation was very complex as a large number of women had no access to education and until the security threats were not eliminated, it would be a challenge to completely empower these women. Conference Day 1 Session 1: Role of national federations and chambers as a force in the economic development of women, best model projects • Moderator: Bina Pradhan, Gender Specialist and Socio Economist • Panelist: Jyothi Rao, Vice President, ALEAP India • Panelist: Shireen Arshad Khan, Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bahawalpur, Pakistan • Panelist: Samjhana Acharya on behalf of MANUSHI, Nepal • Panelist: Damche Dem, President, Bhutan Association of Women Entrepreneurs. • Panelist: Nasreen Awal Mintoo, President, Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh The panelists shared what their organizations were doing to help promote enabling policy and legal environments for women entrepreneurship in their countries. They spoke about the increasing need for acknowledging the capacity of women to engage in entrepreneurship which would not only empower women themselves but would give rise to equitable and inclusive economic growth in their countries. More women in leadership and entrepreneurship roles would also allow women to take a bigger role in social and political dialogue. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Green Industrial Park Jyothi Rao, Vice President, Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP), India Brief Introduction: Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP) was established with an aim to bring women entrepreneurs to help each other. It was the first organization to develop a women’s industrial estate in 1998 in Hyderabad. For the past two decades, ALEAP has been striving to make the state of Andhra Pradesh empowered through promoting women entrepreneurship. ALEAP’s aim is to make the women economically independent, through motivation, counseling, training and hand holding. The association was established in December 1993 and today holds the recognition of being one of India’s premier institutions for women entrepreneurship. ALEAP fosters women entrepreneurship with focus on innovative creativity, financial sustainability and social impact. Their mission is to leverage entrepreneurship development and to achieve economic growth for women of India. ALEAP facilitates the development of women entrepreneurs by strengthening their entrepreneurial capacities, and supports the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME's) in the formal and informal sectors. Module: The park is built on 85 acres and was purchased and developed by ALEAP. Prior to developing the infrastructure, ALEAP assured the local habitants that they would benefit from its development though creation of jobs. The goal of the project is to establish a self-sustainable, eco-friendly industry that provides a conducive environment for women entrepreneurs employs clean technologies, renewable energy and has cost-efficient management systems. Therefore, it imbibes a green approach to infrastructure development. It has been designed in harmony with the characteristics and constraints of the local eco-system and helps reduce waste and pollution, efficiently share resources such as water, energy, infrastructure, information and other natural resources. Impact: ▪ The park targets a total of 220 entrepreneurs. Out of which 170 are manufacturers and the remaining 50 are in the service sector. Assists in the income generation of 12,000, directly and indirectly. ▪ A riverlet passes through the park. ALEAP has strengthened the sides of this riverlet and made ponds for the collection of water. ▪ Promotes economic empowerment with sustainable development ▪ Create asset in the form of industrial plot for women ▪ As a model park ALEAP’s Green Industrial Park can be replicated by other Asian Countries. ALEAP has presented in Korea and Japan and both the countries have expressed a strong desire to replicate the park. ▪ Furthermore, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has sanctioned ALEAP with four industrial parks to be remodeled. ▪ ALEAP has addressed various environmental issues which are causing threat to environment in the manufacturing process. ▪ Improve trade facilitation by branding as Green Products ▪ Utilization of solar power: 40 percent of the land has been left as green belt to erect solar panels to harness solar energy. Additionally, industrialist must allow ALEAP to install solar panels on their roof tops so they will utilize solar energy. Developing Goat Value Chains in Collaboration with USAID Shireen Arshad Khan, Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bahawalpur, Pakistan Brief Introduction: Shireen Arshad Khan is the first woman designer to become a Member of Parliament. She has been instrumental in encouraging and facilitating women entrepreneurship in Pakistan especially in South Punjab. Among the many objectives of the Bahawalpur Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry is also to place before government and other public entities the interests of women entrepreneurs on matters affecting trade, industry and services, including influencing policy decisions. Model Project: Module: Since the project is based in an agricultural area, most of the members of the chamber are wives of small farmers. These women are given loans by NRSP Microfinance Bank for special kinds of goats that breed thrice a year. They are then sold in cities and markets with for a fair price, ensuring that the women generate profit. Additionally, the Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry assures the sales of these goats by dealers from big cities. At the next stage, the chamber assists in the export of meat to international markets. Impact: Income generation for women. The presentation emphasizes the success story of one woman. Because of the loan, she has expanded her goat cattle farming from relatively small cattle of five to a hundred in 2016. Thus, she has become a mentor and role model to the women of the chamber. Integrated Gramin Bank Module and Fair Trade principles MANUSHI Brief Introduction: Manushi was established in 1991 and is a fair-trade organization that promotes women’s economic empowerment in Nepal. The organization's goals are to promote gender perspective in sustainable development, to enhance women's social and economic status, to put women in the forefront of human development, and to put marginalised people in the world of work through handicraft production and small businesses. In addition to craft production and marketing, Manushi conducts community development, entrepreneurship and skills training, and provides microfinance loans. Their notable recent achievement is in process - creating of a Micro Finance Development Bank. Modules: Gramin Bank: To ease the financial setbacks faced by women and marginalsed groups, Manushi adopted the ‘Gramin Bank Model’ from Bangladesh. Manushi has 24,000 borrower’s group out of which 50% are women. Micro Finance Programs are provided in different districts in Nepal (Dolakha, Kathmandu, Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot; to name a few). Members were provided with financial litreacy program. Fair Trade Model: Out of the 24, 000 borrowers, 50% women borrowers were given skill development training programs such as business and enterprise practices. The products produced by the group were: felt products, jewelery, textile and clothing and weaving products such as natural fiber, pashmina and recycled silk. Impact: Through access to finance and buy back scheme, the integrated approach enabled the women producers to re-pay their loans and provided a platform to market their products through Manushi. Furthermore, Manushi has become the largest exported in handicrafts, textiles and jewelry and is exporting to Europe, U.S.A and Asia. Developing Sustainable Supply Chains and Enhancing Rural Livelihoods with Medicinal Plants and Herbs Damche Dem, President, Bhutan Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAOWE) Brief Introduction: Ms. Damche Dem pioneered the steel industry in Bhutan in 2003. She is currently the Chairperson of Pelden Enterprise Ltd. The company exports ferrosilicon of different sizes to India, Germany, Netherland, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Dubai and Singapore. Her success in a male dominated field has enabled Ms. Dem to advocate for the empowerment of women entrepreneurs and hence she established the Bhutan Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAOWE) with the view to bring Bhutanese women entrepreneurs onto a common platform to nurture, facilitate, empower, network and promote women’s knowledge and skills for business. BAOWE stands for a just and equitable society in which women recognize their strengths and become successful, empowered entrepreneurs leading meaningful lives as responsible and responsive citizens of Bhutan. BAOWE works to develop a social-consciousness-driven private sector and promote women entrepreneurs at the grassroots level thereby contributing to poverty reduction, self-reliance and business to achieve the economic empowerment of women. Module: The project is in Nubi Gewog, Trongsa District. The project was initiated by Horticulture Division under the Department of Agriculture under the leadership of Ms. Kinlay Tshering, the then Chief of Horticulture. The Government provided technical support to identify crops that can be grown in the seven hundred villages that form Nubi Gewog (village block) of Trongsa District. As part of the process, after the crops are harvested, it is put into a common facility center. The crops are then processed to make essential oil. Impact: • It exemplifies the harmonious and inclusive collaboration between the Government of Bhutan and Civil Society Organizations. • It creates employment opportunities for the women of Nubi. Furthermore, through its efforts eradicate urban poverty, through this project; BAOWE has successfully enabled the women of Nubi to utilize local resources. Thus, preventing the women from being uprooted from their locality in search of job opportunities in urban areas. • It empowers beneficiaries who ultimately own the project; creates livelihood; and provides a linkage to market the essential oils. Sheuti Nasreen Awal Mintoo, President Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh Brief Introduction: Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (WEAB) aims to enhance women entrepreneurship, women empowerment, ensure gender equality to promote the social status of women in rural and urban Bangladesh. In addition to its services for enhancing skills and opportunities for women, WAEB also offers social awareness programs that propagate education, stop early marriage, create awareness on women’s rights, violence against women and children and gender equality. Module: The project was funded by the Islamic Bank Bangladesh with an initial investment of US $ 1,00,000. The project functions as a sales and display centre for women entrepreneurs to promote, develop and sell their products. Sheuti facilitates training centers for imparting training to women entrepreneurs in order developing and market products, provide capacity building and procure new businesses. Depending on the needs of the project, the training varies from either 5 or 7 days. Impact: • Sheuti promotes products made by women of the rural areas and provides a platform for these entrepreneurs to sell their products in the city. • Provide platform for potential buyers and suppliers to discuss their mutual benefits and prospects for business development. • By promoting a supply chain process that eliminates the middlemen, Sheuti ensures a better value of the products for both the manufacturers and consumers. • Ensuring a sustainable business for women entrepreneurs significantly contributes to the economic empowerment of women which in turn promotes gender equality and stronger roles for women in society. Session 2: Women Entrepreneurs Linking Rural Women Producers to Access Local and International Markets • Moderator: Sabrina Singh, Program Officer, Daayitwa • Segment: Handicrafts o Shyam Badan Shrestha, President, NRDC, Nepal o Salma Masud, Presdent, Dishari Foundation, Bangladesh o Suchaitra Eashwar, Catalyst for Women Entrepreneurs, India • Segment: Textiles o Panelist: Jyoti Balakrishna, President, Awake o Panelist: Naheed Masud, FPCCI, Pakistan o Panelist: Indira Kulatilake, Former Vice Chairperson, Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Sri Lanka Segment: Handicrafts Fiber Weave Products Shyam Badan Shrestha, Founder and Promoter, Nepal Knotcraft Centre Brief Introduction: Ms. Shyam Badan Shrestha established the Nepal Knotcraft Center and is regarded as the pioneer manufacturer of macramé products, recycled-wood items and products made of natural fibers. Ms. Shrestha is an ardent believer in using sustainable products. During the Indian embargo of 1990 and 1991, Ms. Shrestha was inspired to experiment with cornhusk dues to unavailability of resources otherwise imported from India. It was during this time that she discovered indigenous weaving traditions practiced by Nepali women from diverse communities. These women had the expertise, but lacked technical knowledge and resources to use their skills to earn an income. Thus taking inspiration from Nepal’s rich natural and cultural beauty and building on traditional skills, the Centre provides employment to rural women from across the country and creates unique products for homes and offices. Module: • The Fiber Weave products line started through exploration of local raw materials in various districts. • Identification of 45 plant fibers for weaving purpose • Formation of micro level enterprises and producers at the micro level • Provided trainings of various skills and modification of traditional weavings on techniques; color; designs, shapes and sizes; diversification of products; blending of newly found raw materials. • Raw material out-sourcing from districts • Production of macramé items, cornhusk ethnic dolls, recycled wood products for cornhusk dolls and bamboo basketry to name a few. Impact: • Home based employment • Income generation opportunity for women at micro level. • Nepal Knotcraft Center has served as marketing linkage and exported products nationally and internationally. Linking with Sheuti to Reach Products to National and International Markets Salma Masud, President, Dishari Foundation, Bangladesh Brief Introduction: Dishari Foundation is a non-government, non-political, non-profitable volunteer organization established in September 2003. It was formed under the initiative of a few committed individuals and social workers ensuring self-development of the target group of beneficiaries of Bangladesh. The organization trains underprivileged women to become entrepreneurs with emphasis on adult education, handicrafts and textiles. Module: • Ten aspiring entrepreneurs were trained by Dishari Foundation. They were encouraged to use locally available natural products such as jute and taught the various methods of using jute. Furthermore, they trained to market their products efficiently to secure profit. • In order to market the end products, Dishari Foundation linked up with Sheuti . • After the completion of the training, everyone was provided with a seed amount of 10,000 BDT (Bangladeshi Taka, approximately US $ 127) to initiate their businesses. They were then exposed to the possibility of taking SME (small and medium). • Dishari Foundation further advocated easing regulations for application and receipt of the loans for aspiring women entrepreneurs who had none to very limited educational qualifications. Impact: • A study titled ‘A Quiet Revolution: Women in Bangladesh’ by the International Labor Organization (ILO) found evidence of growing commercialization of women's work in Bangladesh. • Creates employment opportunities for women entrepreneurs and women of rural areas. Nectar Fresh by Ms. Chayaa Nanjapp Suchaitra Eashwar, Catalyst for Women Entrepreneurs, India Brief Introduction: Ms. Eashwar is the Founder and CEO of Catalyst for Women Entrepreneurs. Prior to this, she was the India Head of WEConnect International; a Washington DC-based organisation that certifies women-owned business enterprises and connects them to global value chains. She is also the Founder-Director of two not-for-profit organizations, Madhyam and VOICES. Catalyst for Women Entrepreneurs (CWE), established in 2016, is a one-stop shop for women entrepreneurs to start up and scale up their businesses. CWE’s comprehensive platform offers access to information on government programs and schemes, business skills, finance, technology, trade networks, and validated professional service providers – especially for women entrepreneurs. Model Project: Module: • Necter Fresh was started in 2007 on a small-scale unit in rural Karnataka, South India. Given the plight of marginalization of tribal communities, the initial object of the project was to provide income opportunities to the otherwise oppressed tribal communities. • Ms. Nanjapp began collecting honey from traditional honey collectors, particularly women and marketing them. Due to the overwhelming success of the project, Ms. Nanjapp decide to expand to marketing other forest produces. Thus, she started collecting fruits to make preserves and jams. Furthermore, she began employing women in her husband’s coffee plantation. • From a modest production capacity of 500 kgs of honey in 2007, Necter Fresh’s capacity has soared to 350 tonnes in 2016. The sales turn over in 2015 was INR 30 crores (approximately US $ 4,514,968). Impact: • Successfully enabled rural producers to reach global markets. • Nectar Fresh is one of the largest buyers of tribal honey in South India – poised to play a major role in empowering tribals especially honey collectors, from across India. • Nectar Fresh’s vision of sustainable ecology and empowerment motivates Chayaa to actively explore intense and sincere engagement with local Indian rural and tribal communities. Deided to form a cluster for the design, manufacture, financing and marketing crafts produced by the women in South India • Necter Fresh currently exports to markets in the Middle East and Europe. Its clients include: ITS, Raddison, Himalayan Drugs, The Taj, The Leela, Hilton, ISCKON, Hyatt and Marriot to name a few. Segment: Textiles Ms. B.R. Vasudha of Shell Apparels, 1993 Jyoti Balakrishna, President, Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE) Brief Introduction: W was founded in 1983 with the vision to build a strong force of women entrepreneurs. They offer trainings, workshops, awareness building and networking opportunities to their members. Jyoti Balakrishna shared two case studies – rural and urban, both of which have become big successes starting at low investments. Module: At present, there are policies and financial schemes that make it relatively easier for women entrepreneurs. However, in the 1990’s, given that it was a challenge for women to break stereotypes and venture into businesses, Shell Apparels’ accomplishment is a commendable one. ➢ The initial investment for this project was INR 5 lakhs (approximately US $ 7,510) acquired in the form of loans from KSFC and State Bank of Hyderabad. At the inception, its annual turnover was INR 27 lakhs (approximately US $ 40, 544); currently its annual turnover is INR 14.27 crores (approximately US $ 2,142,948). ➢ Shell Apparels was the first to engage the blind and disabled in the garment industry in Bangalore. ➢ Additionally, the garment sector provided a great opportunity to empower a large pool of rural women who were uneducated and lacked opportunity to earn a livelihood and support their families. ➢ Shell Apparels invested more on people by providing trainings on skill development which ensured achieving over-all prosperity for every team member. ➢ Local rural women were outsourced to do chenille embroidery, hand work and bead work. Thus, this was beneficial to both the company and rural women. ➢ An employee-centric work environment remains crucial to the project’s growth. Maternity leaves are encouraged and team members are encouraged to return after marriage and child birth; members are encouraged to complete education through correspondence; women groups are made aware of complex issues such as sexual harassment, HIV and AIDS; an in-house doctor and nurse is present and there is provision for nutrition support for kids. Impact: • Employment at Shell Apparel has provided women with financial independence. At its inception, the project employed 42 members. Currently, the project employs 1055 members. • Furthermore, it undertakes social responsibly through education and training, scholarship for educating the needy, engaging the blind and disabled, providing medical aid to needy and those who critically, providing clothing for underprivileged children and digging bore wells and pumps installations for the needy. • During the initial stage of the project, most of the employees were illiterate. However, currently, owing to the education facilities and support Shell provides, almost all of its employees are literate. • Subsequently, Shell Apparels has worked with major brands such as quicksilver, Diesel, John Galliano, Decathlon, Zara and Rip Curl. Maria B. Naheed Masud, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Pakistan Brief Introduction: Ms. Naheed Masud is the Chairperson of the Women Entrepreneurs Committee, FPCCI. She is also a member of the Handicraft Association of Pakistan and an executive member of the Bahalwalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ms. Masud shared the case studies of Maria B and Agha Noor, two highly successful women’s fashion brands, also sharing how Pakistan has immense potential in textiles and aspects of fine crafts that are unique to the country and which have been translated by the fashion designers who are now recognized globally. During her presentation, she had suggestions for a Youth for Change Forum, a Made in SAARC Trade Fair and skill development seminars. Module: Ms. Maria Bilal runs one of the most successful fashion lines in Pakistan under ‘Maria B.’ • Her brilliance manifested while she was still in school. As a third-year student in 1997, Maria represented Pakistan along with some of her batch mates at the prestigious ‘Les Etoiles de la mode’ – World Young Designers Award held in Belgium. Competing against 22 countries, Maria finished among the top three in the final world rankings. The five outfits she showed there were according to her a ‘symbolic representation of Pakistan’s evolution over the last few centuries • Since its establishment in 1999, what started out as a small stitching unit in Lahore with 10 employees has now grown into Pakistan’s most diverse designer fashion bran with couture, formal wear, lawn, embroidered fabrics and cottons all within one affordable label. Maria B. has one of Pakistan’s most extensive retail networks with 25 standalone outlets in 12 different cities across the country while exporting to 6 international destinations including India, UK, USA, Bangladesh, UAE and Qatar. Additionally, it was the first fashion house in Pakistan that sold online and shipped orders internationally. • Her success can perhaps also be attributed to her philosophy of making high fashion affordable. Impact: • An unprecedented success story such as Maria B’s in Pakistan fashion industry has elevated her as one of the inspirations for the aspiring women entrepreneurs and fashion students. • In 1994, Maria Bilal was offered a place at the prestigious St. Martin School of Fashion in London but chose to be at the Pakistan School of Fashion Design where she would top for four consecutive years. The staunch patriot defends her decision back then saying she wanted to stay in her country and be close to the people and fabrics that she eventually intended to work with. Given that brain drain is a major concern in South Asian countries, Maria Bilal’s success story has inspired many to utilize locally available resource-both material and labor- and contribute to positive development of their country. Sandra Wanduragala of Selyn, 1991 Indira Kulatilake, Former Chairperson, Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Sri Lanka Brief Introduction: Indira Kulatilake has been an active producer and promoter of the Garments Industry in Sri Lanka. Kulatilake is the first Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs to be recognised by the Star Group USA as one of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World in 2003. 2006-2007 she served on the Women’s Leadership board at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The board is an advisory board to the Dean of the John F. Kennedy School in Women and Public Policy. Module: Seyln is a fair trade social enterprise and exports over 400 items to 40 countries. It has its roots in the tradition of the loom and has taken on the challenge of reviving this heritage to benefit rural women and men with a focus on quality and innovation. Seyln works with local artisans to enhance their work and quality of life in an efficient and productive manner. They are also taught capacity building, entrepreneurship development, skills programs and how to address social issues. Leadership and entrepreneurship programs are specifically designed for selected persons who have the capacity to maximise on opportunities. Impact: • Selyn currently employs 1000 women and has thus provided a platform and created an impact in rural household through alternative income generation for women. • Furthermore, it protects and upholds the age-old tradition of hand weaving in Sri Lanka. Conference Day 2 Session 1: Women Entrepreneurs linking rural women producers to access local and international markets Segment: Agriculture • Moderator: Charu Chadha, Editor, Business 360 • Panelists: o Kinlay Tshering, Chief Horticulture Officer, Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, Government of Bhutan o Rita Bhandari, Mahi Enterprises, Nepal o Tshering Wangmo, Chief Marketing Officer, Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives, Bhutan o Mariyam Mohamad Didi, Addu Women’s Association, Maldives o Rajni Agarwal, President, Federation of Indian Women Entrepreneurs, India Mahi Enterprises, Nepal Rita Bhandari Model Project: Two basic themes form the core of Mahi Enterprise: • Promoting Traditionally cooked food items • Promoting local staple cereals, grains, Module: Ms. Rita Bhandari, the founder of Mahi Enterprises presented on locally grown products that are highly nutritious but sadly neglected in favour of store bought quick food items. In order to promote healthy and traditional eating habits among the younger generation, Mahi Enterprises strives to bring products from different parts of Nepal in its most natural form, without the addition of pesticides or chemicals. Furthermore, women at home are encouraged to revive the skills of making traditional food in a clean environment using natural materials. They have products from Raswa, Jajarkot, Morang and Nabalparasi and are looking for linkages with other districts. Impact: • Preserving traditional skills • Preserving local food habits that are being replaced by modern ready to eat foods. • Encouraging younger generation towards healthy food habits and preserving local food habits. • Encouraging farmers to continue cultivation of traditional foods. • Promoting environmentally friendly Nepali products. • Providing income generation opportunities to women of rural areas without requiring them to relocate to urban areas. Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Developing Sustainable Supply Chain and Enhancing Rural Livelihoods in collaboration with BAOWE Kinlay Tshering, Chief Horticulture Officer, Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, Government of Bhutan Brief Introduction: Ms. Kinlay Tshering emphasized on the production aspect of the Nubi Project while in the next presentation, her colleague Ms. Tshering Wangmo, Chief Marketing Officer, Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives, Government of Bhutan emphasized on the marketing aspect of the project. Module: The Nubi Project aims to grow medicinal plants and herbs to develop a sustainable supply chain to enhance rural livelihoods. It is an exemplary collaboration between the Government of Bhutan and a CSO, BAOWE that aims to empower beneficiaries to ultimately own the project and create value addition through a cooperative model. The project comprises of 158 farmers. The Government provides technical support in terms of production, establishes common facility centre whereby the produces can be brought in and is then linked with BAOWE. In turn, BAOWE: develops the plants for the farming community, mobilizes groups and therefore adds value to commodities by linking it to the market. Impact: • Established centers with both forward and backward linkage –thereby enabling market exploration, adding value to the produce and additionally encouraging farmers to produce more. • Subsequently, the project provides employment to the women of Nubi and provides an alternative to income generation without requiring them to relocate in search of job opportunities. Juweyriya Wajdhy’s culinary business Mariyam Mohamad Didi, Addu Women’s Association, Maldives Brief Introduction: Addu Women’s Association (AWA) was initiated by Ms. Juway Wajdhy who i s a leading example of a skilled Addu lady of many talents. The purpose was to encourage more and more women from Addu and women across the Maldives to come confidently forward to gain new skills or develop and benefit from various skills they have been historically associated with and, through that increase their participation in economic and social development and make a difference to their own lives. Module: Juweyriya started her culinary journey in 1980. • The core idea of her culinary business lies in encouraging healthy eating using locally grown vegetables and promoting women to actively engage as entrepreneurs from their homes. • She has opened her own restaurant and created a brand name “Juwey Café� which is now leased, started her catering services and a retail shop as an income generating activity. Impact: • Through her career span of 36 years, she has conducted approximately 16,000 cookery trainings. • 17 of her students have started restaurants of their own. • She has also developed various manuals on cooking. Since 1994, she has written 127 books out of which 60 are recipe books consisting of healthy meals. Additionally, she has also written kids story books promoting healthy eating at an early age. • Her story has had tremendous impact on women entrepreneurs in Maldives. She used the revenues generated from her book sales as collateral to acquire a loan in order to open her restaurant. Siali Leaf Plates, Orissa Rajni Agarwal, President, Federation of Indian Women Entrepreneurs, India Brief Introduction: An entrepreneur since 1977, Rajni Agarwal started FIWE first as a national alliance of young entrepreneurs. She believes the marketing is the growth engine of any enterprise, but the concern is lack of proper systems. She encourages regional entrepreneurs to access the largeness of Indian markets and says that a B2B portal is the answer. FIWE has created the SAWE MART and online portal to bring entrepreneurs and markets closer. The portal has been created to empower women traders, manufactures, suppliers, exporters and service providers to get rapid promotion, business enquires and trade leads for their businesses across the world. Module: • Of the many training programs conducted by FIWE to promote women entrepreneurs, the one on making plates out of Siali leaves has been the most successful. • Tribal women turned entrepreneurs from 127 tribal villages in Kandamal, Sambalpur, Angul and Deogarh have agreed to supply 100,000 plates to a senior official from a German company following the Paris Agreement on climate change that aimed at long term environmental stability. • An increasing number of developed nations are switching over to Siali leave plates as they are cheap, do not smell foul and are biodegradable. Impact: • Income generation for women of disadvantaged communities who would have otherwise had little to no alternative income source. Session 2: Sharing Gender Friendly Policies to Promote Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership • Moderator: Yankila Shrepa, Former Minister of State for Tourism, MD, Snow Leopard Trekking, Nepal and Vice President, SAWDF • Panelists: o Hon. Minister Hameeda Waheed ud din, Pakistan o Dr Bina Pradhan, Gender Specialist and Socio Economist o Nilufar Chowdhury, Former Member of Parliament / Nasreen Awal Mintoo, President, Women Entrepreneur’s Association, Bangladesh o Archana Bhatnagar, Managing Director, Haylide Chemicals / MAWE o Hon. Kinlay Om, Member of Parliament, Bhutan o Sheeza Imad, Association of Maldives Working Women for Economic Development, Maldives o Indira Kulatilake, Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce, Sri Lanka o Homa Usmany, Executive Director, Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan’s Development (LEAD), Afghanistan Hon. Minister Hameeda Waheed Ud Din, Pakistan Pakistan has a population of 191 million of which 49% are female. There have been several gender-related legal reforms in Pakistan with an aim to increase female participation in all walks of life and provide social, economic and physical protection of women. The Anti Honour Killing Bill 2016 and the Anti Rape Bill 2016 are landmark decisions. In Punjab a Women Development Department was established in 2012 which works towards women’s economic empowerment policies and is reviewed every two years. The Gender Management Information System is a landmark achievement of the Govt. of Punjab. It provides gender disaggregated data on social indicators and is regularly updated and maintained. Key interventions for economic empowerment of women have been protection of women from violence, protection of women from economic disadvantage which includes protection of property and heredity rights, enhancing women entrepreneurship which also offers the Chief Minister’s Self Employment Scheme that extends small interest free loans to women across Punjab, skill development, gender equity for employment and at workplace which includes 15% quota for women in public services employment, initiatives to increase women’s participation in labour force such as women-friendly public amenities, day care centres and working women’s hostels in every district, and increasing women’s participation in decision making bodies (includes women in the Punjab Assembly increased to 21 %, women caucus in Punjab Assembly, gender mainstreaming sanding committee in Punjab Assembly, inclusion of women in executive bodies and as office bearers in trade unions and 33% women representation in all boards, committees and task forces ). Leadership trainings, home based workers policy to protect their rights, women’s expos, business facilitation centre and survey of private sector suitable for women employment are some of the initiatives in the way forward. Dr Bina Pradhan, Gender Specialist and Socio Economist Women entrepreneurs are an untapped force believes Dr Bina Pradhan. Women own 14,300 small and medium enterprises and account for 20% of the country’s GDP. Reports suggest that women are more entrepreneurial than men, generating six percent higher profits on annual sales even though they operate smaller businesses under adverse conditions and market biases. Women are a vital force for economic growth as decision makers, important contributors of the household economy, and as primary producers of a majority of tradable goods and services. There is a growing recognition that women entrepreneurship must be supported and that government agencies and corporations play a vital role in growing women’s businesses. Towards this is the Industrial Enterprise Bill which provides tax rebates and deductions to gender friendly businesses and industries. Women industry owners enjoy certain privileges and access to loans and a Women Entrepreneurship Development Fund has also been established in the country which provides loans of up to Rs 500,000 for three years without collateral and at 6 percent interest rate only. Besides these there is a Women Entrepreneurs Development Working Group under the Nepal Business Forum to raise and address issue of women in business at the government level. Micro Enterprise Development Program has been adapted as a national program towards poverty reduction and employment generation and targets 70% women. The Ministry of Industry recognizes excelling women entrepreneurs annually through an award program. Yet the challenges facing women entrepreneurs are many with access to capital while starting and growing their business remaining the biggest. Studies reveal that 67% women have never taken any loan. Loans available to women are at micro level and thus debilitate their potential and progress. Nepal has discriminatory ownership rights which disallow a woman from using collateral to access loan. Women’s work is still considered non-economic. There is also an unequal playing field for women in terms of capacity, access to information and technology. Recommendations include establishing women’s economic rights at the national policy level, establishing an implementation mechanism for effective translation of policies into action, devise simple and easy ways to access funds for women entrepreneurs, provide credit guarantee fund for women who want to scale their business, establish business service centres including virtual incubators, encourage use of technology, facilitate market linkages among others. Nilufar Chowdhury, Former Member of Parliament Nilufar Chowdhary focused on creating gender responsive labour market policies for equitable employment outcomes. Female participation is concentrated in lower level jobs and women earn half the wages that men do for the same work. Although gender parity has been achieved in primary and secondary education, female drop out levels remain very high. The average age for marrying is 16.4 years for girls which results in early child bearing and puts them at various risks. Although there are a number of laws that exist on violence against women, the enforcement level is very low. Women have limited access to economic opportunities, political participation, health care, finance and empowerment. They are disadvantaged in almost all aspects of life. Girls are considered a burden especially in the poorer strata of society. They are socially vulnerable and the discriminatory nature of policies and laws prevent them from exercising their rights. Although Bangladesh has had the longest standing head of state as a woman, a lot has to be done to achieve equal rights for women. Archana Bhatnagar, Managing Director, Haylide Chemicals & Madhya Pradesh Association of Women Entrepreneurs (MAWE) Archana Bhatnagar’s presentation focused on MAWE which was established in 2000 and works towards entrepreneurship, employment and economic independence of women. She feels policy needs focus around the hurdles faced by women entrepreneurs which are – access to finance, access to technology and access to markets. MAWE works on state and national level to influence policy makers and government to help create gender policies for economic growth of women through entrepreneurship. She spoke of the existing policies for MSME women entrepreneurs in India that include a Marketing Development Assistance Scheme that allows assistance in participation in international trade fairs and financial support for stall rentals at national and international exhibitions, credit schemes and subsidies for women entrepreneurs which allow collateral free loan of up to Rs one crore among other incentives Among MAWE’s policy recommendations are mandate procurement or 20% compulsory procurement from women owned MSMEs, access to finance which goes beyond the current one time exposure of maximum Rs one crore loan to be raised to Rs two crores and refinancing of paid up term loan, capacity building of women in business through common facility centres at nominal fees, and certification of genuine women owned enterprises wherein 51% shares should be held by women. Hon. Kinlay Om, Member of Parliament, Bhutan The shift from monarchy to becoming a democratic country with constitutional monarchy marked a shift for women to enter public service from home and private service. Hon. Kinley Om spoke of the challenges faced by women in Bhutan in the context of encouraging leadership and economic development and the reforms initiated under the incumbent government that promote women’s engagement in the economy. Challenges include the lower literacy rate among women which meant lower participation in politics as the constitution requires a minimum academic qualification of a college degree to join politics. The ratio is 9 women to 100 men in public office. She shared that the way forward is to encourage gender friendly policies at all levels to encourage women entrepreneurship and leadership. The recently introduced gender based budgeting will allow relevant ministries and departments to address gender issues within the framework of high accountability. There will be a gender focal person in each ministry who will ensure that needs of women are taken care. The government is also working towards guaranteed employment of youth – most of which are young women. Sheeza Imad, Association of Maldives Working Women for Economic Development, Maldives Sheeza Imad expressed concern over the low representation of women in decision making levels in her country. The constitution allows equal treatment of men and women in Maldives. Although there are no constitutional barriers for women to hold the highest elected post of the State, women remain reluctant to take on high level positions. The challenges are in the mindset, the lack of affirmative action by political parties to increase women’s participation, gender responsive budgeting has not been sanctioned, and due to lack of women at decision making levels, gender issues are not always reflected in development of legislation and policies. However, Maldives has made significant progress in advancing gender equality, she shared. Women are being empowered in economic, political and public spheres of life in different sectors and opportunities come in the form of correct policies and laws. Indira Kulatilake, Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce, Sri Lanka Indira Kulatilake talked about the project – Lend to Her, Grow the Economy which aims to improve women’s access to finance by lobbying for an agreed percentage allocation of loan portfolio to women entrepreneurs. Lending to women owned enterprises as a distinct segment was unexplored compared to SME lending in Sri Lanka. The advocacy committee met with the Finance Minister in September to discuss its implementation. It was approved in the last national budget. Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka made an agreement that the CBSL shares analysis pertaining to the effectiveness of 5% of country loan portfolio of the lending banks allocated to women entrepreneurs, which underpins the success of this project. In the long run the project objectives could be achieved with the support of the lending institutions and the CBSL. Work is being done to further define the criteria to make sure the desired objectives of the project are met. She also shared that WCIC has also embarked on a new project lobbying for fair allocation of local government procurements and contracts for women owned businesses. With the slogan, ignite, influence and challenge, WCIC sees women as change agents, decision makers and influencers who will contribute in driving the economy forward. Homa Usmany, Executive Director, Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan’s Development (LEAD), Afghanistan LEAD works to meaningfully represent, advance and secure Afghan women’s economic interests, nationally and internationally. According to a women entrepreneurship study by Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit in 2013, 79% of the income of majority of the families of South, East and North Afghanistan comes from handicrafts and animal husbandry done by women. However, due to the lack of gender-friendly policies and Afghanistan being a man dominated society, women are marginalised. Opportunities for women are confined to only three out of nine sectors, agriculture, manufacturing, and community, social and personal services. In fact, women are the overwhelming majority in the manufacturing sector at 65 percent of all persons engaged in the sector. As an organization that advocates for economic empowerment of women, LEAD is a membership based organization and serves as a platform for women entrepreneurs to discuss issues and find solidarity. Furthermore, LEAD aspires to positively contribute to policies pertaining to women’s economic interests. They are working to sensitize women on existing provisions and their rights. According to a study by LEAD in 2016, Afghanistan has 700 registered businesses run by women entrepreneurs and 1119 women working in the private sector. LEAD has taken two approaches – ▪ Unifying Our Voice, which addresses women’s economic concerns and asks women themselves for recommendations to overcome the challenges; and ▪ Let’s Collaborate through which they create an event to invite government representatives, donors, embassies and relevant ministries and present the set of recommendations and seek collaborative deliberations. Homa Usmany stressed on the need for women to be seen not just as economic beneficiaries but as economic contributors. Session 3: Group Work: Recommendations on gender friendly policies to promote women’s entrepreneurship and regional trade in South Asia Facilitator: Charu Chadha, Editor, Business 360, Nepal Format of Group Work The group work began with taking 45 minutes to work in four groups to put forward three big ideas that we will help formulate or impact policies that help promote women entrepreneurship and leadership in SAARC countries. The groups were asked to nominate one speaker from each group to come forward and share their group’s ideas in two minutes. They were asked to focus only on three key points which had to be written down on a sheet which was collected by the facilitator and pinned to a board. Each speaker had to expand on these three ideas in her two minutes time presentation. All participants then discussed the best points and formulated key recommendations as the SOUTH ASIA strategy. The joint recommendations were: • Create a SAARC consortium of women business leaders (Under the SAARC Committee) one from each country - that help develop women entrepreneurship in the region on an ongoing basis for a fixed term through collective leadership approach. • Cluster approach varying according to desired amount specifically for women entrepreneurs through which they can increase productivity to compete, nationally and globally. • Clusters help overcome disadvantages of economies of scale and weak capital base and enhance competitiveness by leveraging the advantages of flexible structure and faster decision making process. It facilitates ability to face market challenges, quicker dissemination of information, sharing of knowledge and best practices, better cost effectiveness due to distribution of common costs and wider public appropriation of benefits. The cluster approach provides an effective and dynamic path for inducing competitiveness by ensuring inter-firm cooperation through networking and trust. The geographic proximity of the enterprises with similarity of products, interventions can be made for many units that leads to higher gains at a lower cost, which in turn helps in their sustainability. The cluster approach aims at holistic development covering areas like infrastructure, common facility, testing, technology and skill up gradation, marketing, export promotion, etc. • Technology skills training to be run under the initiative of SAWDF in each country. • Develop a Regional Project; expand networks with the Women Entrepreneurs of ASEAN Region. • All 8 SAARC countries should imbibe a ‘collective leadership approach’ for policy advocacy whereby each country is to be led under the leadership of one elected leader who will take forward policies agreed upon during this conference to their respective governments and authorities. This collective policy advocacy program should be funded by a donor agency. • Given that a ‘chamber’ is given more importance over an ‘association,’ all 8 countries should have a National Women’s Chamber. • A ‘set aside project’ for women entrepreneurs where the governments of all eight countries implement 20% of government procurement to be made through women entrepreneurs and women owned and run businesses. • Effective Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Schemes to be formulated. For example, the MDA Scheme in India gives 100% airfare, 100% stall rentals for women entrepreneurs once a year to a woman owned enterprise. • Create one Business to Business (B2B) portal to address marketing needs of women entrepreneurs in the region. • Lobby for women entrepreneurs to have access to lower interest rates (2% lower than that available for general loans) and collateral free loans. • Women business accelerators to be set up in conjunction with women’s chambers of business and respective Ministry of Industry in each country to help budding women entrepreneurs pitch their companies to investors, and to help existing small women businesses scale up. Through consensus it was decided that the following three recommendations would be endorsed by the conference: 1. Collective leadership approach (Under SAARC Committee): a ‘SAARC Goodwill Ambassador for Women Entrepreneurship Development.’ Leaders from the SAARC region will then form a core group and visit each country to appeal to the governments and concerned authorities regarding findings, deliberation from the annual conference and issues regarding policy implementation. 2. Develop a Regional Project; expand networks with the Women Entrepreneurs of ASEAN Region. 3. A ‘set aside project’ for women entrepreneurs where the governments of all eight countries implement a certain percentage of government procurement to be made through women entrepreneurs and women owned and run businesses. Conclusion Ms. Rijal concluded the conference with the need to expand the SAWDF’s current network and thus incorporate a provision for associate member organizations that would complement the lead organization. In addition, it was imperative that the selected associate member organizations be apolitical in nature. Recently, in collaboration with ALEAP and the Federation of Women’s Entrepreneur’s Association of Sri Lanka, SAWDF submitted a regional proposal for a large-scale project amounting to US$ 9,720,000.00 million to the SAARC Development Fund. Ms. Rijal thus encouraged the organizations to take advantage of their association with SAWDF and undertake similar regional projects. Furthermore, the deliberations of the conference need to be transformed into concrete achievements through affirmative action. For example, Nepal’s ‘Women Entrepreneurship Development Fund’ is a modification of ALEAP’s ‘Credit Guarantee Funds.’ In 2011, ALEAP presented in Nepal and under Ms. Rijal’s presidency, the concept was taken forward. While policies are context specific, they can always be modified to foster regional development and stability.