NUST to launch Innovation Arbitrage Council at the Innovation Leadership Summit 4 August 2010

Amir Jahangir

The summit will announce the launching of an advisory council “Innovation Arbitrage Council” (IAC) that will have varied business executives on its panel including Mohsin Iqbal, a distinguished technology business executive who has represented companies like Intel and HP in Asia Pacific, and Amir Jahangir, CEO, Mishal, and Advisor to Stanford Center for Innovation and Communication, Stanford University, who has been honoured as the Young Global Leader 2010 by the World Economic Forum, both who played an instrumental role in crystallizing the idea to form the council on innovation.

Published for the ninth consecutive year with an extensive coverage of 133 economies worldwide, the Global Information Technology Report remains the world’s most comprehensive and authoritative international assessment of the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the development process and the competitiveness of nations.

CSF Promotes Knowledge Based Entrepreneurship to Boost Economic Growth CSF is setting up three pilot business incubator projects to promote knowledge economy for a long-term economic growth:

Islamabad, 29 August ? Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) starts with its third operating window to boost the knowledge driven economy in Pakistan through establishing business incubators and promoting venture capital.

The Competitiveness Support Fund, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), started with its operation in May, 2006. CSF is one of the best driving forces currently in Pakistan providing policy assistance, identifying sectors that have potential and competitive advantage to grow as well as co-financing innovative projects based on a solid strategy to support a long-term economic growth in the country. Now, CSF has put its third window into operation to establish business incubators and promote venture capital in Pakistan.

CSF has three operational windows, namely the Technical Assistance, Matching Grants and Business Incubators/Venture Capital. The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) has started with its third window, aiming to establish business incubators in the leading research institutions in Pakistan. The Technical Assistance and Matching Grant windows of the fund are being supported by a grant of US$ 12 million by the USAID, whereas the initiative of business incubators and venture capital will become operational by a matching grant of US$ 10 million contributed by the Government of Pakistan for the next 5 years. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved an amount of US$ 10 million last December, as a part of the agreement between the Government of Pakistan and USAID on establishing the Competitiveness Support Fund.

To make business incubation and venture capital a success in Pakistan, CSF has now undertaken initiatives working closely with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) which is a partner organization of the CSF and both the organizations signed an MOU last year to support initiatives promoting knowledge-based economic development. Another essential component of the undertaking was envisioned to establish business incubators. HEC and CSF together will develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation system to ensure the successful and timely completion of the projects selected for the incubators. Finally, CSF will explore the possible financial involvement of other relevant bilateral institutions to share the cost of the relevant projects as well.

Business incubation is a business support process that accelerates the successful development of start-ups fledgling companies by providing entrepreneurs with an array of targeted resources and services. These services are usually developed or orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the business incubator and through its network of contacts. A business incubator’s main goal is to produce successful firms that will leave the program financially viable and freestanding. These incubator graduates have the potential to create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, commercialize new technologies, and strengthen local and national economies. CSF will be introducing the best international practices for promoting business incubators in the country.

CSF will promote venture capital and encourage a number of relevant institutions to establish Business Incubators. CSF will extend co-funding as grants to these Business Incubators which will be used for financing incubates in the form of equity participation and for meeting their initial management overheads. In the long term the Business Incubators will be expected to meet their operational expenses through returns from their equity investments. The Venture Capital window, among other things, will be used to promote the creation of Business Incubators and provide funding for their incubator programs. However, Business Incubators will then make funds available to incubator companies and earn profits on the funds they receive for making loans and/or venture investments in incubates and incubator graduates.

The first in the three pilot projects have been identified at the National University of Science and Technology, Rawalpindi. The University already has an incubator initiative and the CSF intervention will bring the international perceptive for supporting its successful implementation. CSF will be exploring the possibility of developing similar facilities in Faisalabad and Karachi.

Support for CSF is part of the $1.5 billion in aid that the U.S. Government is providing to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, and governance. CSF supports Pakistan?s goal to have a competitive economy by providing input into policy decisions, working to improve regulatory and administrative frameworks and enhancing public-private partnerships within the country. CSF also provides technical assistance and co-financing for initiatives related to entrepreneurship, business incubators and private-sector-led initiatives with research institutes and universities that contribute to creating a knowledge-driven economy.

Sindh Horticulture Industry seeks help of the Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF)

ISLAMABAD ? July 18, 2008 – A Horticulture delegation of mango, banana and dates growers from Sindh province have sought the help of the Competitiveness Support Fund to enhance their competitiveness as well as improve the quality of their products to the market.

The delegation comprised Mr. Mehmood Nawaz Shah, General Secretary of the Sindh Abadgar Board, and Mr. Ghulam Sarwar, a progressive Horticulture farmer from Sindh.

Mr. Nawaz said approximately 1.7 million mangoes are produced in Pakistan of which less than 5 per cent are exported at some of the lowest prices in the world. He said there was a need to add value to mangoes in the areas where they are grown in Pakistan.

?That is one of the prime reasons for our turning to CSF,?? he said, adding: ?We need the help of CSF in establishing a value added mango processing facility in Tando Allah Yar in Sindh.??

Within the framework of the existing MOU signed with the Government of Sindh, the Competitiveness Support Fund is launching a new initiative jointly with the Sindh Government to help the mango, dates and bananas industry segments to upgrade their physical infrastructure for better processing of the said products.

The initiative is planned to be a public private partnership so that the beneficiaries take ownership, said Arthur Bayhan, Chief Executive Officer of the Competitiveness Support Fund. Mr. Bayhan expressed appreciation on working closely working with Mr. Nazar Hussain Mahar, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development, Government of Sindh.

During his recent visit to Karachi, Mr. Bayhan also met with the Chief Minister of Sindh, Mr. Qaim Ali Shah and discussed further cooperation with the new government.

Pakistan currently exports an estimated $170 million horticultural produce which CSF aims to increase to $1 billion by 2012 through its support to the Task Force on Horticulture Finance and Competitiveness.

Only 16 per cent of fruits are processed in Pakistan and this can be enhanced exponentially as there are great opportunities to augment the volume of value added products using modern technology. The potential markets for Pakistani exporters have been identified in Europe and the Middle East.

Currently there are an estimated 6,638 tons of fruit is processed in Pakistan with Citrus topping the list with 1,944 tons, followed by mangoes with 1,675 tons, dates with 622 tons and banana with 158 tons. These are located in all four provinces with 4,197 tons produced in Punjab, 983 in Balochistan, 945 in Sindh and 513 in NWFP.

CSF is a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan and has been established to reposition economy on a more global footing. The Fund is based on international best practices and has been tailored to the current Pakistani economic environment.

CSF supports Pakistan?s goal of a more competitive economy by providing input into policy decisions, working to improve regulatory and administrative frameworks and enhancing public-private partnerships within the country.

Support for CSF is part of the $1.5 billion aid that the U.S. Government is providing, through USAID, to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, governance and for earthquake reconstruction.

USAID-CSF to improve competitiveness of Pakistan’s fisheries sector:

Islamabad, May 22 – The Competitiveness Support Fund, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan is providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock and the Sindh Fisheries Department for better management of the Karachi Fish Harbor.

Pakistan has a fish and seafood industry worth approximately $1.2 billion. Exports alone are worth nearly $200 million. More than 800,000 people rely on the industry for their livelihoods or family income. The industry, however, is suffering from over-fishing that is reducing the resource base and yields, and from poor quality control that is reducing the catch value.

The Karachi Fish Harbor has in recent years had problems with fish quality and maintenance of sanitary and hygiene standards. In February 2007, 10 exporting companies were de-listed by the European Union, prohibiting them to export. Severe short-term impacts on processing companies have been reported when these bans occurred, and the reputation of Pakistan’s seafood industry is damaged worldwide. As a result, export earnings have suffered. The direct consequence of losing the EU export market is estimated to be more then $10 million per year.

In collaboration with the Government of Sindh and the Karachi Fish Harbor Authority, CSF is suggesting ways to improve the harbor management. Last year, CSF conducted an analysis of the various stakeholders’ needs and management options.

Both Federal and Government of Sindh have agreed in principle to evaluate CSF’s suggestions of bringing in an internationally renowned fish harbor management company through a competitive bidding process to manage and upgrade the facilities at the Karachi Fish Harbor. The cost of the interventions will be split between the Federal Government and Sindh Government.

As part of its assistance to the Government of Balochistan, CSF is also preparing a brief for the Fisheries Department on development of fish exporting and processing industries, particularly in the Gwadar and Pasni regions.

Support for CSF is part of the $1.5 billion in aid that the U.S. Government is providing – through USAID — to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, governance and for earthquake reconstruction.

CSF recognizes QAU students for conducting Pakistan Executive Opinion Survey 2008:

ISLAMABAD, May 21, 2008 – Supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance, the Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) held a certificates distribution ceremony for students and faculty members of department of economics, Quaid-e-Azam University for their conducting of the Pakistan Executive Opinion Survey 2008 for the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009.

Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission, Dr. Sohail Naqvi, awarded the group with certificates of appreciation, acknowledging their contribution and achievements.

‘Our organization feels very proud to have been part of such a prestigious exercise, and I would like to appreciate CSF for introducing such a remarkable opportunity for the academia,’ said Dr. Aliya Khan, Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Economics, Quaid-e-Azam University. ‘Their initiative has proven to be a milestone for opening a discussion between the academia and industry for realizing the need to bridge the gaps and jointly work for development of competitive and innovative economic initiatives’.

More than 230 top-level business executives operating in Pakistan were surveyed by students from Pakistan’s leading universities and business schools to capture their opinion on the business environment in which they operate.

The participating students came from a vide range of academic backgrounds reflecting the most important sectors of academia. CSF has created a database of more than 100 students, who have been sensitized on the issues of global competitiveness and Pakistan’s economic environment.

The Global Competitiveness Report has been the World Economic Forum’s flagship publication since 1979 and is widely recognized as the world’s leading cross-country comparator of factors affecting economic competitiveness and growth. The Executive Opinion Survey is a major component of The Global Competitiveness Report and provides the key component that turns it into a representative annual measure of a country’s economic environment and its ability to achieve sustained growth.

Support for CSF is part of the $ 1.5 billion in aid that the U.S. Government is providing, through USAID, to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, governance and for earthquake reconstruction.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s Board Approves CSF Recommendations to Reduce the Cost of Doing Business in Pakistan in the Media Sector:

ISLAMABAD, 10 May – The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF), a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan established to reposition Pakistan’s economy on a more global competitive footing.

The Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) 2007-2008, which is published each year by the World Economic Forum, benchmarking 131 economies over the 12 economic pillars shows that Pakistan is declining in its rankings, losing its competitive advantage for doing business in Pakistan. The GCR especially highlights Pakistan’s weaknesses related to institutional effectiveness and the efficiency of legal framework.

As part of CSF objectives to enhance the competitiveness of Pakistan’s economy, CSF has identified crucial areas in the licensing process and procedures to improve the business environment and encourage investment in the media industry in Pakistan.

CSF has reviewed the current licensing procedure of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to improve the business environment to attract investment in the media sector. CSF, as a result recommended crucial steps to be taken by PEMRA to simplify the application procedure and reducing the number of days for doing business and obtaining licenses.

Based on a careful analysis and on the need and requirements of the stakeholders, CSF proposed new guidelines for provision of documents with a license application, reducing the current requirement of 23 different documents to only 7. The reduction of steps and documents will also reduce the pre-qualification time-frame from 30 days in general to 15 days, after which PEMRA will be sending the application to the Ministry of Interior and its line departments for the relevant clearance. CSF has also suggested streamlining of obtaining the necessary clearance procedures, providing a period of maximum 45 days for final clearance from the Ministry of Interior.

Arthur Bayhan, Chief Executive Officer of the Competitiveness Support Fund, stated that ‘to improve the competitiveness of any economy, including Pakistan, it is essential to build up a coalition between public, private, academia and the media sectors. Changing mindset is crucial for promoting innovation and competitiveness.’ Bayhan further said, ‘It directly effects the social and economic environment in a country’. ‘We believe that the proposed recommendations by CSF will greatly improve the business environment in Pakistan and will encourage people to invest in the media industry for dividends in long term to provide access to information to the urban as well as the rural population of Pakistan’, said Bayhan.

The World Bank and its International Finance Corporation (IFC) in its annual report of ‘Doing Business 2008′ have also identified that Pakistan has lost its position of 73 in 2007 to 76 in 2008 out of 178 economies. In dealing with licenses, Pakistan ranks 93 as compared to 91 in 2008 and 2007 respectively. The report also identified an average 223 days to get a license in Pakistan, which is quite high as compared to 153 days in most of the emerging market economies.

The Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) has been the World Economic Forum’s flagship publication since 1979 and is widely recognized as the world’s leading cross-country comparator of factors affecting economic competitiveness and growth. The Competitiveness Support Fund as the partner institute of the World Economic Forum is working closely with various stakeholders to improve the state of Pakistan’s competitiveness in Pakistan.

Support for CSF is part of the $ 1.5 billion in aid that the US Government is providing to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health and governance.

USAID-CSF releases World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2007-2008; Pakistan ranks 89 among 127 countries:

Islamabad, April 9, 2008 – The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF), partner institute of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Pakistan, today released the ‘WEF Global Information Technology Report 2007-2008.’ The report ranks Pakistan 89 out of 127 countries in terms of nations’ preparedness to effectively promote business, improve investment climate and develop infrastructure.

‘It is evident that technology is playing a leading role in accelerating economic growth and promoting development,’ said CSF’s Chief Executive Officer, Arthur Bayhan. ‘A coherent government vision on information and communications technologies, coupled with an early focus on education and innovation, are keys to spur network readiness and to lay the foundations for sustainable growth.’

This year’s ranking shows a five-point decline for Pakistan from last year when it was ranked 84 out of 122 countries. Although telecom operators are aggressively upgrading their network infrastructure to launch broadband data and multimedia services, Pakistan still ranks low on the cost of broadband and on the security of Internet servers. Furthermore, the number of days and procedures to enforce a contract in Pakistan is also a key challenge in achieving sustainable impact.

According to the Global Information Technology Report of the World Economic Forum, Pakistan is ranked at 89 out of 127 countries, which is a 5 step down ranking from last year, where Pakistan was ranked at 84 out of 122 countries. The decline is a result of a weakened political and regulatory environment (100) and the infrastructure environment (101), which refers to network facilities, network capacity and capabilities. Although telecom operators are aggressively upgrading their network infrastructure to launch broadband data and multimedia services, Pakistan is still ranked low on the cost of broadband (100) and on the security of Internet servers (97). Furthermore, the number of days and procedures to enforce a contract (112) in Pakistan is also one of the key issues in achieving sustainable impact.

Published for the seventh consecutive year, the WEF Global Information Technology Report is the world’s most comprehensive and authoritative international assessment of the impact of information and communication technologies on nations’ development and competitiveness.

Irene Mia, Senior Economist and Co-Editor of the Report, will give an live online video briefing on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time at: www.competitiveness.org.pk/GITR2008.

Support for CSF is part of the $1.5 billion in aid that the U.S. Government is providing, through USAID, to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, governance and earthquake reconstruction.

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GITR 2007-2008_Executive Summary

The NRI 2007-2008 rankings in full

CSF TAKES ON IQRA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO CONDUCT THE EXECUTIVE OPINION SURVEY 2008 OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM:

KARACHI, 18 March – The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) as the partner institution of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is carrying out the Executive Opinion Survey (EOS) 2008 in Pakistan for the Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009.

The Competitiveness Support Fund, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, has proposed a unique strategy to the World Economic Forum to engage the academia in conducting the Executive Opinion Surveys. By doing so, CSF aims at building the capacity of the future business leaders who will soon be joining the business community and help create a group of business leaders who would be sensitized on the importance of Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), the Global Competitiveness Report’s 12 pillars and the role of business community in measuring the GCI. Through this exercise, the students will also be provided with the opportunity to interact with the leading CEOs of the country and create industry academia linkage across Pakistan.

As part of the strategy and implementation process, CSF today held an interactive session at IQRA University, Karachi to engage the faculty members and the students for this exercise. The meeting included discussions on the Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008, which is published each year by the World Economic Forum and benchmarks 131 economies over the 12 competitiveness pillars.

Amir Jahangir from the Competitiveness Support Fund informed the students and the faculty members that Pakistan ranked 92 out of 131 countries on the Global Competitiveness Index and elaborated the issues concerning Pakistan’s competitiveness. Jahangir further added that the CSF strategy has also been appreciated by the Harvard Business School and is being considered to being one of the most innovative strategies from any of the 153 World Economic Forum partner institutes. CSF also shared that once this exercise is successfully completed, it carries the potential of being implemented across the other WEF partner institutes in 130 member countries, which will prove to be a milestone for Pakistan’s collaboration with the World Economic Forum.

CSF shared that the Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) has been the World Economic Forum’s flagship publication and is widely recognized as the world’s leading cross-country comparator of factors affecting economic competitiveness and growth. The Executive Opinion Survey is a major component of The Global Competitiveness Report and provides the key component that turns the Report into a representative annual measure of a country’s economic environment and its ability to achieve sustained growth.

Top level business executives operating in Pakistan will be surveyed to capture their opinion on the business environment in which they operate.

Fahd Ali Raza, Head of Department for Business Administration at IQRA University and one of the faculty members leading the student group for this very prestigious exercise described this as an important initiative to promote competitiveness relevant issues as research topics at the higher academic level. He appreciated CSF for developing such an innovative strategy with a focus on academia in Pakistan and stated that this would also help the academia in developing stronger networks with the business sector and bridge the gaps.

CSF will be interacting with other leading economic, business and journalism schools across Pakistan to create a network of more then 100 students and faculty members to assist CSF in carrying out the Executive Opinion Survey from January to May 2008.

Support for CSF is part of the $ 1.5 billion in aid that the US Government is providing to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health and governance.

THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM HONORS HINA RABBANI KHAR AS YOUNG GLOBAL LEADER FOR 2008:

Geneva, 13 March 2008 – Drawn from a pool of almost 5,000 candidates across the world, The World Economic Forum has selected 245 leading professionals as the Young Global Leaders for 2008. These young leaders have been acknowledged for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to influencing the future prospects of the world.

This year, Hina Rabbani Khar, the former Minister of State for Economic Affairs has been honored as one of the Young Global Leaders for 2008. Ms. Khar has been acknowledged for her profound leadership quality in promoting innovative ideas and competitiveness in Pakistan. She has in particular played a key role in developing linkages between the public and private sectors and created more donor attention to the economic and competitiveness issues in the country. As part of her work in promoting competitiveness, Hina Khar has been working closely in establishing the Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) in Pakistan to create more awareness of Competitiveness in the business sector and supported CSF’s initiatives in creating linkages between the international and bilateral agencies.

The Competitiveness Support Fund is a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan and working as an independent body on improving Pakistan’s competitiveness worldwide. CSF is also the country partner institute of the World Economic Forum in Pakistan and strongly engaged in developing knowledge-based enterprise sectors and promoting sustained economic growth in Pakistan. Support for CSF is part of the $1.5 billion in aid that the U.S. Government is providing to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, and governance.

‘We would like to integrate those Young Global Leaders into processes which will allow them to have a real impact on global affairs and to make sure that global decision-making preserves the interests of the next generation. The Forum of Young Global Leaders will be a strong force from all walks of life to shake up traditional thinking and to bring a bold, forward-looking approach to the world,’ said Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Hina Khar is also recognized for her support in including Competitiveness into the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Pakistan.

‘The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a unique, multi-stakeholder community of the world’s most extraordinary young leaders, who dedicate a part of their time to jointly addressing global challenges and who are committed to devoting some of their knowledge and energy to collectively work towards a better future’, said Arthur Bayhan, Chief Executive Officer of the Competitiveness Support Fund.

Bayhan further stated that ‘As part of their engagement, the Young Global Leaders give their time to task forces to initiate, develop and drive innovative solutions on important, globally-oriented issues, including health and education and reduce poverty.

Ms. Munizae Jahangir, a Film Producer and Media Professional has also been bestowed with this honour this year.

In 2007, the Young Global Leader award was given to Omar Ayub Khan, Former Minister of State for Finance and Former Chairman of the Competitiveness Support Fund for his contribution to the positive turn of the economy of Pakistan, due to significant Real Domestic Product growth.

Salman Iqbal, Chief Executive Officer, ARY Digitial was also selected in 2007 as Young Global Leader for creating pioneer-ship in Pakistani media and broadcasting.

The Young Global Leaders for 2008 include 121 business leaders, as well as leaders from government, academia, the media and society at large from 65 countries. The new class represents all regions, including East Asia (64), Europe (58), the Middle East and North Africa (12), North America (45), South Asia (24), sub-Saharan Africa (21) and Latin America (21).

The Young Global Leaders 2008 were chosen by a selection committee of 31 eminent international media leaders, including Thomas H. Glocer, Chief Executive Officer, Reuters, United Kingdom; Arthur Sulzberger, Chairman and Publisher, The New York Times, USA; Robert Thomson, Publisher, Dow Jones & Company and The Wall Street Journal, USA; and Hisashi Hieda, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fuji Television Network, Japan. The selection committee is chaired by H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

PAKISTAN TO FOCUS MORE ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC GROWTH:

Islamabad, 8 March 2008 – The International Women’s Day, 8th of March, has been observed since the early 1900′s, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women’s and society’s thoughts about women’s equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that ‘all the battles have been won for women’ while many feminists from the 1970′s know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

However, Pakistan has been one of the front runners on the political empowerment, where it had a woman prime minister and increased participation of women in the political platforms, The International Women’s Day also reminds us that Pakistan has still a lot to do so the school girls are welcomed into universities, women can work and have a family and provide women with real choices. The tone and nature of International Women’s Day has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a collaborated work force aiming at a more optimistic future.

The International Women’s Day is marked across the world, where women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day. On this occasion, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace, development and economic empowerment.

According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2007, published each year by the World Economic Forum, the social and economic empowerment of Pakistani women is still very low and their struggle is still on.

Pakistan is ranked at 126 among 128 countries in 2007 in the Global Gender Gap Report (GGG). This report provides a comprehensible framework for assessing and comparing global gender gaps and by revealing those countries that, regardless of the overall level of resources available, are role models in dividing these resources equitably between women and men.

The Global Gender gap Report 2007 also identifies a gap in the overall participation of the women to be integrated into the workforce in Pakistan; Although the enrolment ratio between female and male at the primary education level is 59% (females) to 77% (males) only 2% of the females reach the position of senior officials, legislators and managers, as compared to 98% of the males in similar conditions.

The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF), a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, is the partner institution of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Pakistan and is working with the WEF to assist the Government of Pakistan as a catalyst for greater awareness as well as greater exchange between policy-makers.

Although Pakistan is doing well on the Political Empowerment of Women, where it stands at 43 among 128 countries, the indicators on Economic Participation and Opportunity for Women are still weak, as Pakistan stands at 126. Also on the Labour Force Participation of Women, Pakistan ranked at 121 among 128 countries.

On the social indicators, Pakistan ranks on 123 on the Educational Attainment pillar and 121 on the Health and Survival pillar among the 128 countries. The Report also indicates that the overall population sex ration (male/female) in Pakistan is almost 1.05, with an overall population growth at 2.41%.

Arthur Bayhan, Chief Executive Officer of CSF, reinforced the importance of the available data on Gender. He said that ‘Pakistan needs to update and timely submit the data on issues relevant to the economic empowerment of gender to the international sources. It is crucial for Pakistan to reflect achievements made in the last few years, to improve Pakistan’s ranking on the Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum’.

Bayhan further added that the Competitiveness Support Fund is in the process of preparing the State of Pakistan’s Competitiveness Report 2008. CSF will include a special section on gender, trade and competitiveness in the State of Pakistan’s Competitiveness Report 2008. The Report will identify the gender gaps affecting competitiveness in Pakistan, especially the areas identified by the World Economic Forum in its Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008 and the Global Gender Gap Report 2007.

The State of Pakistan’s Competitiveness Report 2008 will provide a framework for capturing the magnitude of gender-based disparities. It will also provide explanations for policy-makers and business leaders in seeking solutions for talent shortages and how to close gender gaps and leverage the talents of both women and men.

CSF supports Pakistan’s goal of a more competitive economy by providing input into policy decisions, working to improve regulatory and administrative frameworks and enhancing public-private partnerships within the country. CSF also provides technical assistance and co-financing for initiatives related to entrepreneurship, business incubators and private-sector-led initiatives with research institutes and universities that contribute to creating a knowledge-driven economy.

Support for CSF is part of the $1.5 billion in aid that the U.S. Government is providing to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, and governance.