The second phase of Meta’s renowned SheMeansBusiness program in Pakistan has just been launched in collaboration with Demo, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the National Institute of Banking & Finance (NIBAF), and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Together, they hope to provide 500 female entrepreneurs with digital empowerment and other high-value small businesses with networking opportunities, training, and access to resources.
This week, Karachi hosted the “The Digital Bridge: Advancing Financial Inclusion for Pakistan” launch ceremony. Representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as other well-known figures from the banking, telecommunication, and business communities, attended.
Sima Kamil, Deputy Governor of the SBP, who was present for the launch, stated, “Small businesses are essential to the growth of the national economy. We are happy to help the Meta initiative to support more female small business owners and entrepreneurs in Pakistan as they grow their enterprises. We anticipate that the knowledge they acquire will also enable them to access international markets.
“At Meta, we are committed to supporting the economic growth of Pakistan by empowering small business owners, especially women entrepreneurs, by upskilling them in the digital space and helping them develop their revenue generation streams,” said Beth Ann Lim, Meta’s Director of Policy Programs. We appreciate the collaboration with SBP, NIBAF, and Demo and look forward to continuing it as we work toward our shared objectives of maximizing the potential of women-owned businesses and fostering greater social justice.
The demo will choose the new program participants from the pool of small business owners who took part in the SheMeansBusiness curriculum in Pakistan’s first phase as well as the country’s export-oriented chambers. They will be given the skills and tools necessary to grow their businesses in the cutthroat online environment.
Dial Zero, Meta’s local associated sales partner, will provide advanced training on export advertising to a total of 100 participants. To help them strengthen their presence by reaching target customers locally and internationally, Meta will provide ad credits on Facebook. The demo will compile a manual of case studies on how businesses used social media to reach new markets outside of Pakistan at the conclusion of this program phase.
Mr. Riaz Chunara, Managing Director of NIBAF, expressed appreciation for the initiative and stated, “It’s important to make sure that small businesses are well-equipped with tools and techniques to leverage the digital space so they can advertise more effectively and increase their customer base. They are given the impetus they need to expand beyond Pakistan in addition to expanding their reach there.
2018 saw the Pakistan launch of Meta’s SheMeansBusiness initiative. Over 30,000 women have received training to date across 51 cities in Pakistan, including AJK and GB. Visit this website to learn more about the initiative: https://shemeansbusiness.fb.com/pakistan/
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