FWBL lauded for promoting economic prosperity

Lahore: President Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) Farida Rashid on Friday said First Women Bank Limited (FWBL) has been rendering invaluable services by promoting education, self-reliance and economic prosperity.

Government should allocate additional funds to FWBL to speed up its expansion plans while focusing underdeveloped areas of the country, she said.Farida Rashid said this after inaugurating a 2-day expo here at FWBL’s Business Development and Training Centre. Former President IWCCI Alia Ikram, office bearers and members of IWCCI, Business Development Head of FWBL Parveen Khan and others were also present on the occasion.

Lauding the initiative of holding expos for women, the IWCCI President said that economic empowerment of women through capacity building, skill development, provision of information and networking is imperative for national development.Mark up for women borrowers should be slashed, procedure of loans should be simplified and number of women employees in all spheres of life, particularly in the banking sector should be increased, she demanded.

Women are facing all kinds of discrimination in the society but despite all odds they are coming ahead, however, they need to increase their efforts, she observed.She asked the government to take more interest in women development initiatives to enable them to come out of poverty. We need more institutions designed, managed and run by the women, for women, she said.

Farida Rashid said that we expect the government to support and defend women development initiatives in all the regions to bring an end to exploitation. At the occasion, Parveen Khan said that the bank will continue to strive for economic empowerment of women by applying all available resources to enhance their capacity and make them productive part of the economy. Ours is the only bank which is involved in effective social activities for women, she said adding that mission of the President FWBL Shafqat Sultana is to bring a meaningful change in the lives of women of Pakistan.