By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan, Jemal Beker Abdula has said that woman empowerment is vital and linked to any country’s economic, social transformation, and development.
Addressing Pakistan’s Export-Women-led business conference in Islamabad, he said that women have enormous potential to work in different sectors of the economy, including trade and investment, governance, and leadership. He said educated women could play a significant role in the betterment of our society and a key to sustainable Development.
“My country since Dr. Abiy Ahmed took the Premiership of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in which half of the cabinets are women, and 50 percent of the parliament are also women”, he added. The Ambassador further stated that women-led businesses will continue to grow and that the Pakistan export sector will continue to revive, survive, and thrive in the time to come. “Ethiopia is the third diplomatic center in the world, HQ for Africa Union, UNCECA. It is the land of origin, human fossil Lucy 3.2 million years of age which is the complete human fossil, Coffee, and a source of Nile, the longest river in the world. And it is a land of Bilal Al-Habash, late King Nejash, first hijira to Ethiopia where we are connected with other Abrahamic Religions as well”, he maintained. He congratulated the Faisalabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FWCCI) and its President, Mrs. Nighart Shahid, for taking this initiative on basically introducing Pakistan’s export potential- women-led business and investment opportunities in Pakistan to the rest of the world.
The Ambassador said that Ethiopia is a vast and growing market, and it sees Pakistan as a preferred partner and is keen to expand trade, business, investment, and tourism relations. Our business and economic ties have not been adequately developed.
The main reason for such a low level of two-way trade was little knowledge about each other’s markets and a lack of relationships. Indeed, this gathering can be considered a window of opportunity for Pakistani women export entrepreneurs to harness huge prospects.
He said that Ethiopia Airlines would fly to the sky of Pakistan soon. Indeed, the commencement of Ethiopia’s Airline will boost the trade, investment, and tourism between Ethiopia and Pakistan, the rest of Africa, and the globe.
