THE SAGA OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN

TDAP is mandated to facilitate and develop entrepreneurship skills, including marketing skills, to encourage the business community to play its due role in the economic development of the country. In pursuit of this mandate, TDAP organizes awareness and skills development sessions, as well as trade fairs and exhibitions at both domestic and international levels. In addition to trade fairs and exhibitions, TDAP, as part of its marketing activities, supports the business community by arranging trade delegations abroad and maintaining close liaison with Pakistan’s Commercial Sections to promote trade diplomacy and develop business relationships with foreign buyers.

As Deputy Director of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, I was posted in the Gilgit-Baltistan region from 2010 to 2014. During my tenure in the region, I had the opportunity to organize an exhibition for women entrepreneurs in Gilgit city. This significant event was the first of its kind in the region in 10 years. A large number of female entrepreneurs participated in the event and showcased a variety of exquisite handmade products.

Before planning and organizing this event, I visited Ghizer and met with several Local Support Organizations (LSOs). Credit goes to AKRSP for providing skills development training and raising awareness within the local community. Besides AKRSP, the Hashoo Foundation, JICA, and other NGOs also played a significant role in developing the skills of the local population, enabling them to earn a good livelihood for their families.

During my interactions with local entrepreneurs, particularly female entrepreneurs, I learned that a large number of women had been trained and equipped with skills in various fields such as honey beekeeping, farming, gem cutting and polishing, woodworking, fruit drying and packing, textile handicrafts, and value addition of dry fruits. At that time, there were 10 established female-run businesses in Hunza, supported by the Karakoram Area Development Organization (KADO). A woodworking institute had also been established for women in Hunza, offering skills development training to local females. This initiative was unique and groundbreaking, especially in the context of Pakistan's conservative society.

“Nine Stars Female Entrepreneurs” was a group of women entrepreneurs from Oshkandas, a few kilometers from Gilgit city. This group was trained in farming, agriculture, and honey beekeeping by JICA, the Hashoo Foundation, and AKRSP. They established their own business setups in the center of Oshkandas, a small village. Additionally, there were special shopping malls for women in Gilgit, Ghizer, and Skardu, where female entrepreneurs were provided shops to run their businesses. These malls allowed entry exclusively to women and children.

At that time, the entire region was engulfed by the fear of Shia-Sunni sectarian conflicts and Talibanization. Despite the unsatisfactory law and order situation in Gilgit-Baltistan, recognizing the untapped potential of skilled women in the region, I prepared a proposal to hold an exhibition for female entrepreneurs. The aim was to provide local entrepreneurs with an opportunity to display their products and learn marketing techniques. A large number of female entrepreneurs from across the country were invited to participate in the event, with the goal of enabling local entrepreneurs to learn from each other's experiences, develop supply chains, and establish business-to-business linkages to promote their products and businesses.

There were some interesting developments and challenges faced before holding the event:

1. Three days before the event, I received a phone call at 2:00 am from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as an officer from one of the Pak Army regiments.
2. The caller directed me to stop the event due to security concerns and threats. However, I immediately refused. After a long discussion and several threats, the caller informed me that 45 female entrepreneurs traveling to Gilgit-Baltistan from Punjab and Sindh had been stopped at Islamabad airport.
3. That night, I couldn't sleep. Early the next morning, I wrote letters to all the concerned public sector organizations to request security arrangements for the event. Thankfully, the GB administration provided significant support and ensured proper security measures.
4. Gilgit city was divided into Shia and Sunni no-go areas, which created a dilemma in selecting the venue for the event.
5. A major challenge was arranging enough tables to display the products. The catering firm only had 15 tables and tablecloths available, which was insufficient.
6. The night before the event, all the arrangements were successfully completed by 12:00 am.
7. On the day of the event, early in the morning, a dust storm and rain destroyed all the arrangements.
8. Despite this, within 3 hours, my team managed to rearrange everything, and the event started on time.

During the event, a Geo News reporter asked me a question regarding the main purpose of holding the event. He inquired, “AKRSP and other NGOs have done a lot in the region, so what is the purpose of TDAP organizing this event?” I responded that there is no doubt about the role of these NGOs in arranging skills development training, which has enabled local women to start their own businesses. Each female entrepreneur is engaged in producing a variety of products. Now the question arises for these trained female entrepreneurs: how do they market their products? TDAP has been mandated to assist them in overcoming these challenges and promoting their businesses. This event will provide an opportunity to showcase their products and interact directly with customers to understand their tastes and preferences. Additionally, this event will help TDAP identify potential and formulate strategies for the region accordingly.

Later on, a number of potential female entrepreneurs were selected and supported by providing them the opportunity to participate in TDAP’s flagship specialized event for women entrepreneurs, “WEXNET,” held in Lahore in 2014. The female entrepreneurs from Gilgit-Baltistan were given the chance by TDAP to enter the mainstream, learn from others' experiences, improve their marketing skills, and develop linkages through their participation in WEXNET.

In 2023, TDAP organized an exhibition called “Her Hunar” for women entrepreneurs from the Northern Areas in Islamabad. A large number of female entrepreneurs from Gilgit-Baltistan participated in the event. It was noted during the event that significant improvements have been made. Now, Gilgit-Baltistan has a Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and many female entrepreneurs have developed strong product development and marketing skills by utilizing social media.

The Gilgit-Baltistan region has enormous untapped potential in the areas of fruits, gems, and handicrafts. Female entrepreneurs in the region need to develop their marketing skills and gain awareness about export procedures, export documentation, financial management, and the participation process in trade fairs and exhibitions at both domestic and international levels. They also require knowledge of e-commerce and the use of social media for promoting their products and businesses. Collective efforts from the public, private sectors, and NGOs are necessary to support the female entrepreneurs of this remote and challenging region in Gilgit-Baltistan, helping them face these challenges, enter the mainstream, and promote their businesses.