Women entrepreneurs want bigger role in ECO

Women entrepreneurs from the Economic Coordination Organization (ECO) member countries demanded their due representation on the permanent and main body of ECO as women entrepreneurs have the same problems the businessmen face.This demand came in a Women Entrepreneurs Council Committee Meeting of ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in Pakistan. Mrs. Seyedeh Fatemeh Moghimi from Iran, the Head of this Committee, Secretary General of ECO-CCI Dr. Mohammad Reza Karbasi, and former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Sultan Chawla led the session. Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan are the members of ECO. Central Chairperson, Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Begum Salma Ahmed urged the ECO-CCI Secretariat, based in Iran, that women entrepreneurs should be given representation on the main body of ECO as they are equal in number and were facing all kind of problems the male entrepreneurs did. Seyedeh Fatemeh Moghimi - who is also Advisor to the President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Mines (ICCIM) on Women Entrepreneurs' Affairs - emphasized on promotion of entrepreneurship for growth in Gross Domestic Production (GDP) and women entrepreneurship deserved equal support and facilitation. She said the opportunities and potential for women businesses in all ECO member countries must be identified and projected for the benefit of womenfolk. This would help in women empowerment, and bringing prosperity and development in ECO region. She said there are many business corridors in Iran which could be reached by road, rail, sea or air by ECO countries. She said that as a whole the ECO has very good potential for economic prosperity in the region. "We, the member countries can also share experiences with each other through holding conferences and meetings and through the net." Secretary General of ECO-CCI, Dr. Mohammad Reza Karbasi assured full support and accommodation of women entrepreneurs in all ECO meetings. When his attention was drawn to lack of follow ups and non implementation of the decisions taken in ECO-CCI Committees meetings, he assured of serious efforts to ensure their true implementation to promote confidence and spirit of hard-work among the ECO people.