Kathmandu, Feb. 12
Seven Nepali women entrepreneurs
are currently exploring business
opportunities in Manchester, the United Kingdom, informed the Embassy of the
United Kingdom in Kathmandu.
The participating businesswomen are Reshma
Shrestha of Sunil Cashmere Pvt. Ltd., Nabina Dhakhwa Shakya of Manushi, Shova
Gyawali of Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs' Associations of Nepal (FWEAN), Geeta
Shrestha of Nepal Silk, Lumbina Shreshta of Alpine Pashmina House Pvt. Ltd., Sushma
Shrestha of Alpine Pashmina House Pvt. Ltd. and Sapna Bajracharya Lama of Loom
Story Pvt. Ltd.
Fifty women entrepreneurs currently exploring business opportunities
in the UK are from 10 countries – Ghana,
Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh,
Mongolia, Nepal and Pakistan.
They are on a trade mission in Manchester.
"As part of the trade mission, British buyers looking to
diversify their supply chains met women entrepreneurs working in the fresh and processed
agrifood, handicrafts, textiles and apparel, handicrafts, beauty, information technology,
and business process outsourcing sectors, through a series of business-to-business
meetings," Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) and International
Trade Centre (ITC) informed in a statement on Tuesday.
The trade mission was organised by the UK Government-funded
SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, in collaboration with the GMCC, and in
partnership with the London Chamber of Commerce, Greater Birmingham Chamber of
Commerce, and West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
They said that the trade mission from February 10-12 helps strengthen
the UK’s manufacturing sector by providing British companies with reliable potential
suppliers and reducing production costs, directly supporting the Made in UK strategy
to promote high-quality British exports and drive domestic industry growth.
The women entrepreneurs visited UK companies relevant to their
sectors and attended information sessions with sector-specific associations, standards
bodies and partnering chambers of commerce to bolster their knowledge of trends,
the business environment and UK market entry requirements.
UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, said that women entrepreneurs across the world
face greater challenges to export compared to their male counterparts, with fewer
connections to buyer networks and limited access to key market information.
"Our SheTrades Commonwealth+ programme aims to counter
that – connecting women entrepreneurs from across Asia and Africa to British businesses,
increasing choice for British consumers and supporting domestic growth. It’s a win-win,"
she said.
Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive
Director of the ITC, which led the organisation of the trade mission with the GMCC
and other UK-based chambers, said, "We’re laying the foundation
for women entrepreneurs to meet directly with buyers, scale up their businesses
and access new markets, benefiting from global trade opportunities."
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 13 February 2025.
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