SAWTEE organized a half day national
consultation program with support from UNDP/APRC on South Asian Country study on
products with regional trade potential and associated non-tariff barriers with
special focus on Women in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(WMSMEs) -A case
of Nepal on 12th February 2015. The objective of the
workshop was to share the findings of a research carried out in Baglung,
Dolakha, Kathmandu, Rukum and Sankhuwasabha and gather inputs on the study from
various stakeholders in order to make the study and the recommendations more robust.
In the programme, Ms Sophie Kemkhadze, Deputy Country Director, UNDP
gave a brief background to the programme and emphasised the fact that presence
of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) is hindering the prospects of trade within the
South Asian region and eroding trade
opportunities even if many people in this region are living in extreme poverty.
Presenting the findings of the research Dr Hiramani
Ghimire, Executive Director said that the study showed that there are
challenges like transport problems, documentation hassles, procedural obstacles
in customs, transit problems and lack of branding. They are hindering exports
of Allo and handmade paper, including the expansion and operation of related
business enterprises . These findings are different from those of other studies
which showed that the major barriers in South Asian trade were related to sanitary
and phytosanitary measures.
Speaking at the programme, Ms Radhika Aryal, Joint Secretary,
Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MOWCS) said that the findings
of the research that employers and employees awareness level about
governments efforts were either low or non-existent, have raised the need to
monitor, evaluate and follow these programmes and trainings properly.
Mr Ananda Kesari Pokharel, Under Secretary, Ministry of Industry,
reiterated governments commitment to encourage womens participation in the industries
and said that the government has made provisions for loan of up to NRs 500,000 for
women without collateral and with a maximum of 6% interest which can be repaid within
3 years.
Dr Beena Pradhan, Gender Expert and Social Economist said that the
study was very timely considering the fact that MSMEs have been contributing a
lot to the Nepalese economy, and womens involvement in MSMEs is very large. It
is increasingly being recognised that women can contribute to the economy. She further
emphasised that there needs to be seriousness in the policies and programmes
targeting women in order to ensure proper results.
Ms Pramila Rijal, President, South Asian Women Development Forum pointed
out the challenge of bringing women from the informal to the formal sector as
this was one of the main reasons why women had failed to reap the benefits of
their involvement in various enterprises. She emphasised the need to segregate and
define the roles of women involved in micro, small and medium enterprises and
build up their capacities accordingly.
Chief Guest of the programme, Dr Arzu Rana Deuba said that the workshop
provided an opportunity to discuss ways to promote micro, small and medium
enterprises which are not only important
for poverty alleviation but also for wealth creation. She further emphasised
the need for benchmarking the quality of the products against international
standards.
Speaking as the Chair of the programme Dr Posh Raj Pandey, Chairman,
SAWTEE said that promotional activities should include promotion of womens
knowledge-based economic activities and also help in bringing them out of their
conventional roles. He further said that a wholesome package needs to be
developed to promote women entrepreneurship and underscored the need for promoting womens participation in the
service sector.
More than 50 participants, including representatives from different
entrepreneurial organisations, women entrepreneurs, policy makers, private
sector and media, among others participated in the programme.
The participants stressed on the importance of developing markets
internally as well as in the South Asian region. One suggestion was made to adopt
appropriate policies for resolving the payment-related hassles in these
countries. They further stressed on the importance of reinforcing the plans
related with using the Nepalese handmade papers and Allo products in the public
sector to encourage and promote WSMEs. The participants also highlighted issues
related with the sustainability of the raw materials, product development and
design, effectiveness of the roles of relevant Ministries, capacity building
trainings, effective campaigns for information dissemination and appropriate
policy measures targeted to women engaged
in micro, medium or small enterprises.
Programme Agenda
Presentations:
Promoting Women’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (WMSMEs) in Nepal
Media Coverage
