Daily Times

The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) underscored the critical importance of fostering an enabling environment for women to thrive in business and entrepreneurship by hosting its 6th Women Empowerment Awards ceremony on Tuesday.

Addressing the members, OICCI Vice President Rehan Shaikh said, “Empowering women isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s also an economic necessity.” He stressed the significant returns on investment in women’s education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, underscoring their pivotal role in driving economic growth and societal development. In addition to celebrating achievements, the event served as a platform for the launch of the ‘Increasing Women’s Inclusion in the Pakistani Economy’ handbook, a comprehensive resource jointly developed by OICCI and Circle Women.

This policy paper consists of key themes emphasizing critical aspects of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, including promoting equal opportunity, addressing the gender pay gap, ensuring workplace safety, fostering inclusivity, promoting economic inclusion, and supporting work-life balance.

Launching the handbook, Andrew Bailey, a member of the OICCI Managing Committee, reiterated the Chamber’s commitment to promoting gender equality and inclusive economic growth, emphasizing the importance of implementing recommendations to realize Pakistan’s vision of a more equitable and prosperous society. M Abdul Aleem, CE/Secretary General of OICCI, said “Women empowerment has been a cornerstone for OICCI members, represented by ‘OICCI Women’, our flagship initiative to enhance women’s inclusion in the economy.”

Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, former caretaker finance minister and recipient of the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for outstanding public service, graced the ceremony as the chief guest.

The event not only celebrated overall corporate achievements but also recognized special category awardees. Notable among these were Pepsi Co for Organization Commitment on Women Empowerment, Total PARCO Pakistan Limited for Leadership and Strategy, Engro Corp for Conducive Workplace Environment for Women, Shell Pakistan Limited for Work-Life Balance and Integration, Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan Ltd. for Women Leaders’ Development, Jazz for Notable Growth in Women Empowerment, and Chevron Pakistan Lubricants Private Limited for Small Enterprise Champions.