An interview by Soofia Javed (Associate Editor Holiday Weekly)
LAHORE: Last week our associate editor Ms. Soofia Javed had the opportunity to interview Ms. Falahat Imraan who has been appointed as President of the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lahore division for the year 2017-18.
Ms. Falahat is a proactive and promising businesswoman, who has great ideas and aspirations all of which point towards a better Pakistan. She is determined to make a change towards a better position for the women of our Nation.
The Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Lahore Division) are a group of individuals who believe in the potential of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. After working in the field for many years they acknowledged the need for a separate Chamber of Commerce and industry, which is solely dedicated to promoting the cause of women in business.
Whilst speaking to Soofia, Ms. Falahat said, “Statistics show that women are half of Pakistan’s population, if half of the population of a Country doesn’t work how can it progress or survive. It is essential for the betterment of Pakistan that educated and skilled women work.”
When asked about the current situation of the Tourism Industry in Pakistan Ms. Falahat answered saying, “tourism is one of the most vibrant and progressive industries of the world. It is imperative that the Government of Pakistan fully support the tourism industry. The growth of Tourism automatically helps boost cottage industry, which in turn creates an influx of employment in both men and women belonging to rural areas. It has also come to notice that educated women are now opting to become tour operators and should be facilitated & encouraged.”
During the interview she told Soofia about her achievements as President of the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry saying,
“We have now joined hands with the ministry of industries through the help of which 30 Incubator Centers will be set up. We have also signed a MOU (memorandum of understanding) with TEVTA (Technical Educational & Vocational Training Authority) to provide current and aspiring businesswomen with proper training. We have also arranged a seminar on CPEC, during a ceremony held at governor house we received an achievement award and we also signed a MOU with World CO club.”
Ms. Falahat talked about her future endeavors at WCCI, “The Chamber is planning on arranging a wide scale exhibition at expo centre Lahore in September.”
When asked about her personal life, Ms. Falahat told Soofia that she has a great support system. “My husband has been my inspiration in business and has fully supported me. I’ve also received immense amount of support from Dr Shehla Javed Akram, Founder WCCI and General Sec. Qaisra Ibrahim.”
In the conclusion of the interview, Ms Falahat put grave importance to the need of educated women stepping out of their houses and working and also the need the need to encourage women from all walks of life to find employment. She also said, “It is crucial for the government to support women chamber and to assist aspiring and current businesswomen, The Chamber is still relatively new and doesn’t have its own building and funds hence the support of the government is extremely important at this time. The Government should also facilitate us for exhibitions, foreign trade fairs and conferences.”
