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.
