By: Anil Datta
KARACHI: Acting UK Deputy High Commissioner Ms Gillian Atkinson said that the United Kingdom had a long history of cooperation with Pakistan in all fields and was keen to invest in Pakistan.
The emissary said that the UK and Pakistan were beset with identical challenges and women’s talents and skills would have to be mobilised.
She was speaking at Pakistan’s premier women professionals’ speed networking luncheon on Saturday hosted by the Dawood Global Foundation (DGF) and the UK Deputy High Commission Karachi.
Over 100 women holding important positions in multinationals and from retail, medical, accountancy and legal sectors attended the event.
The main objective of the function was to foster professional clientele, build professional contacts and consolidate their networking for professional advancement purposes.
Proceeds from the luncheon will go to charitable efforts of the Foundation for women’s advancement.
Quoting marketing wizard Seth Godin, Tara Uzra Dawood, the president of DGF, said, “Trust is the key to success in business and all relationship and the speed networking will teach and train women to build trust into professional relationship and give them the structured opportunity to initiate the process”.
Atkinson, said, “We are delighted to partner with the Ladies Fund to host the speed networking luncheon and look forward to many such partnership in the future. The importance of women as a large pool of entrepreneurial talent has been globally recognised. We congratulate the successful, dynamic, and talented women of Pakistan for not only having enhanced their lives but also for helping Pakistan build a brighter and more prosperous future.”
Dawood said that the Ladies’ Fund – having 12,000 women members – was the preserve of urban women and small and medium enterprises. The motto of the organisation, she said, was to ‘invest in yourself’. She said that the Fund would be recommending names of important women entrepreneurs for seat on the various boards constituted by the ministry of finance.
She said that the Fund planned to sponsor scholarship for 1,000 girls’ education.
The event was also an occasion for women entrepreneurs to showcase their initiatives. Among these were hair and make-up stalls by Allenora and Annie, and a stall of paper products crafted by special children.
