WomenX is a pilot programme providing business education and support services to women entrepreneurs running small and medium sized enterprises in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. Enclude Pakistan has been selected by the World Bank to implement this project.
Providing an integrated package of services to high-growth potential women entrepreneurs, in order to help them achieve significant improvement in business performance and;
Implementing a nation-wide public discourse campaign aimed at showcasing successful Pakistani women entrepreneurs and providing women business owners with a community through which to access resources and new networks.
Over a period of 30 months, 400 female enterpreneurs from Lahore and neighbouring districts will be trained in business education at GC University, Lahore.
This project is funded by World Bank and is in partnership with Enclude.
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Phase 1 is a 4-month certificate course with 16 days of in-class business education and soft skills training, in addition to small group sessions (peer-to-peer coaching) and access to monthly networking events. Classes meet once a week on Saturdays.
BUSINESS EDUCATION
Four-month training led by the Management Science Department (MSD) faculty at Government College University focusing on core business skills: Entrepreneurial Accounting, Marketing, Operations Management, Business Law, Taxtation, etc
SOFT SKILLS
Professional business training workshops on leadership, communications, HR management, negotiations, and organizational well-being.
SMALL GROUP COACHING SESSIONS
Small-group sessions with activities and exercises that will help each woman gain clarity on her business.
NETWORKING
Events to facilitate access to markets, supply chains and other networks, leveraging on existing initiative and developing new ones.
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hase 1 is a 4-month certificate course with 16 days of in-class business education and soft skills training, in addition to small group sessions (peer-to-peer coaching) and access to monthly networking events. Classes meet once a week on Saturdays.
ONE ON ONE MENTORING
FWith the support of a mentor, implementation of new practices and business strategies; develop skills to find solutions to challenges faced by participants.
BUSINESS CLINICS
Specialized small group sessions with local ‘expert’ practitioners, to address specific questions relating to participating businesses.
NETWORKING (CONT’D)
Events to facilitate access to markets, supply chains and other networks, leveraging on existing initiative and developing new ones.
SMALL GROUP COACHING SESSIONS (CONT’D)
Small-group sessions with activities and exercises that will help each woman gain clarity on her business.
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The venue for the Business Education component of WomenX is Government College University, Lahore. Facilitated by some of GCU’s best entrepreneurial faculty members at the Management Studies Department (MSD), our BE sessions offer something for everyone: topics include marketing (including social and digital media marketing), operations, accounting, human resource management, law and taxation.
WomenX participants have access to the facilitators’ weekly office hours as well as GCU’s library, computer lab, and sports facilities.
Participants are welcome to bring their children along with a responsible caregiver to stay with them in a designated room during sessions. Lunch and refreshments are provided.
The WomenX philosophy is not only to build on our participants’ business acumen, but to also inculcate crucial soft skills for day-to-day business management. Therefore, an integral part of the programme is the soft skills training component, where trainers from the Lahore’s top corporate training schools will conduct tailored workshops on themes including leadership, communications, negotiations and professional positioning in the workplace.
At WomenX, we believe in the power of peer-to-peer counselling and collective brainstorming. Our small group peer-to-peer coaching sessions made up of 8-10 participants and 1 facilitator will provide our women participants with a safe space to discuss their business challenges and build an intimate network of business allies. Each group’s individual participants bring their own twist to each session, creating an exciting, one-of-a-kind entrepreneurial experience!
From weekly interactions in large and small group settings with fellow WomenX participants, to guest speaker series with industry leaders, to monthly collaborations with large entrepreneurial networks within Pakistan’s business eco-system, WomenX offers business building opportunities to participants from any business sector, giving them the ideal platform for creating linkages and identifying new business opportunities.
Approximately half of WomenX participants from Phase 1 are selected to continue on to Phase 2 of the programme. Phase 2 is designed to provide advanced business guidance on a more individual level, based on each participant’s Business Growth Action Plan (which all participants develop by the end of Phase 1), with the aim of implementing changes in their business. Phase 2 services include: one-on-one mentoring, Business Clinics and advanced small group coaching sessions, along with continued networking opportunities.
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