PESHAWAR - A two-day Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair 2015’ kicked off on Wednesday by setting up around 50 stalls to exhibit women handicrafts, dress, jewellery, footwear, handbags and other products.
On the first day of the fair, women visitors throng the exhibition and took keen interest in variety of women handmade stuff, like embroidery and food items displayed at various stalls. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has organised it in collaboration with Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) Peshawar. Traditional dresses materials of Charsadda and Swat, embroidery and Kandi work of Bahawalpur and Haripur were also displayed and people took keen interest. The 50 women entrepreneurs are participating from different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peshawar, D.I.Khan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Charssada, Swat, along with Multan and Bahawalpur districts from Punjab.
The exhibition is taking place at wedding hall was formally inaugurated by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) President Fawad Ishaq. Director TDAP Noman Bashir, Chief Commissioner Regional Tax Office (RTO) Peshawar, Ikram Ghani, KPCCI vice president Muhammad Iqbal Afridi, WCCI Peshawar Senior Vice president, Nasira Lugmani, Ms Iqbal Bano, a large number of women attended the opening ceremony.
On this occasion, the TDAP Director Noman Bashir said that seeing the interest of women, it reflects their seriousness towards contribution in national economy.
Women have pivotal role in economic development of the country. He assured the TDAP would provide all kind of assistance and facilitation services to women entrepreneurs to promote and market their handmade stuff in benefiting manner.
“We would encourage to women entrepreneurs to participate in upcoming national and global trade fairs, particularly in London and India, the Director said. He said the women trade fair is an effort to prepare them for the mega exhibitions in and outside the country.  
The KPCCI President Fawad Ishaq in his speech said that the trade fair is an encouraging step taken by the TDAP and WCCI Peshawar. He asked the TDAP to expedite its efforts so that to fully assist trade and business communities particularly, women entrepreneurs.  KPCCI president asked the young women entrepreneurs to take full benefit from Prime Minister Youth scheme to start businesses and contribute their due share in economic development of the country.
The WCCI Senior Vice President Nasira Lugmani said that this exhibition would provide opportunity to women entrepreneurs to develop market linkages and promote their handmade and other art-work in an organised manner. She said the women have tremendous contribution in economic development of the country.  Later, the KPCCI president, Fawad Ishaq formally cut a ribbon to open the exhibition.