PSW, TDAP boost women’s access to global export markets

Mettis Global reported that Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) are stepping up efforts to draw more women entrepreneurs into international trade. The push runs through training, digital trade facilitation and market-access work under the Khadijah Women Entrepreneurship Program. Recent sessions in Sialkot and Gujranwala addressed compliance for exports, online trade tools and ways of running businesses sustainably.

In Sialkot, the two bodies held a focus group discussion under Phase-II of the Khadijah Program, working with the Sialkot Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Women exporters raised difficulties in cross-border trade and commented on current trade procedures, with the feedback expected to inform digital facilitation tools. In Gujranwala, a capacity-building workshop held with GIFT University and the local women's chamber covered customs rules, e-commerce, digital marketing, financing and environmentally friendly trade standards.

PSW chief executive Syed Aftab Haider said extending the program to industrial hubs shows a focus on wider access to international trade, while TDAP's Fouzia Perveen Chaudhry said the partnership is equipping women in major manufacturing centres to compete globally. The program is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and has received the WTO Global Award for Gender Equality in Trade. Officials anticipate that these recent steps will widen women's grasp of export know-how, digital trade infrastructure and overseas markets.