In this modern era, women are working side by side with their male counterparts and contributing to the progress of their national land. Unlike developed countries, Pakistan lags in women’s economic empowerment. This major portion of the population is restricted and completely dependent on men in their financial matters. This gender gap has created the need to empower women so they can make a constructive contribution to the Pakistani economy.

Womens Economic Empowerment
Considering the Women’s Economic Empowerment necessary for all the stakeholders like women themselves, their family and the society Omer, started his Women’s Economic Empowerment Program in 2002.

Considering the problems and prospects of women entrepreneurship in Pakistan, Omer conducted some training programs to enhance the business performance of micro and small enterprises run by women entrepreneurs in disadvantaged communities. The training program was further scaled up to a broader level. He conducted a study involving around three hundred women throughout Pakistan in three tiers to identify exact problems; i.e. who were already doing business, who were planning to do business, and who had failed.

The study helped to develop a comprehensive training program. A manual of women entrepreneurship was developed in both Urdu and English languages. The training was launched to train women entrepreneurs in the field of marketing and sales, finance and accounting, human resource management, technology and production management, and quality control. Later, both the manual and training program helped to develop an indigenous book in Urdu “Apna Karobar”.

Omer Aftab started advocacy efforts to establish the Women Chamber of Commerce. His struggle for the establishment of WCCI proved so effective that in just a period of six months the government accepted the proposal of WCCI and formalized its existence and notified it in the Trade Ordinance in 2005. Omer Aftab served as Chief Operating Officer of WCCI with an aim to provide a dynamic platform solely dedicated to promoting and developing women entrepreneurship in the country. Today there are six independent Women Chambers of Commerce operating in Peshawar, Islamabad, Karachi, Multan, Pindi, and Lahore.

Later Omer started engaging relevant stakeholders to establish a National Committee on Women Entrepreneurship Development. After several rounds of consultation at different levels the National Committee on Women Entrepreneurship Development- NCWD was conceived, which served as an umbrella body aimed towards solidifying the cause. The committee focused on policy framework at the national level and created a web of communication and coordination among all the stakeholders and allied government departments which were involved in women entrepreneurship.

Omer has also been part of advocacy with state bank on the Cash Flow Lending for women entrepreneurs as traditionally most of the women entrepreneurs do not own properties in their names. This was later approved by State Bank for all SMEs to have collateral-free lending.

Omer Aftab received a well-deserved recognition of his long-term efforts to promote women’s economic empowerment and was appointed as Honorary Country Representative of the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) which is a global network of outstanding professionals to support women’s economic empowerment around the world.