Samina Fazil, the founding president of the Islamabad Women’s Chamber, has warned that a new bill introduced in the National Assembly could lead to the dissolution of dozens of women’s business chambers across Pakistan, effectively undoing 18 years of reforms and progress.
According to a statement issued today by the prominent business leader, the proposed amendments to the Trade Organizations Rules 2013 would dismantle the existing district-level structure of these representative bodies.
In a formal letter addressed to the Director-General of Trade Organizations (DGTO), Bilal Pasha, Fazil expressed the collective concerns of women’s chamber presidents from across the country, stating that the move is a “conspiracy” to dismantle rather than strengthen these institutions.
The proposed legislative changes seek to confine the jurisdiction of chambers to divisional or municipal boundaries, which she argues will centralize representation and reduce the inclusion of the business community at the grassroots level.
This change is expected to particularly affect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in tehsil and rural areas. Pakistan’s approximately 5.2 million SMEs are a significant economic engine, contributing around 40% to the gross domestic product and providing nearly 80% of non-agricultural employment.
Fazil highlighted that women entrepreneurs, who head a significant number of these, are already grappling with critical issues such as limited access to financial resources, mobility constraints, and weak links to markets.
The elimination of women’s chambers at the district level will exacerbate these challenges, potentially pushing many women-led businesses into the informal economy and further restricting their access to policymaking forums.
She concluded by appealing to lawmakers to reconsider the proposed changes and instead focus on strengthening the established network of women’s chambers across the country.