KATHMANDU, Sept 1: The 5th International Women Entrepreneur Trade Fair 2021 has kicked off in Kathmandu. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated the fair virtually on Wednesday.

The fair is organized by the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Associations of Nepal (FWEAN) to promote the internal market and export of goods, agricultural products and handicrafts produced in the all seven provinces. 

Addressing the inaugural session of the fair, Prime Minister Deuba said entrepreneurship has played an important role to revive the economy that had been weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Though Nepali products were not able to reach the global market during this Covid-19 pandemic, these types of programs will surely help our products to compete in the global market. Also, the products produced by women entrepreneurs will help in the overall development of the country,” Prime Minister Deuba said.

Speaking on the occasion, FWEAN President Reeta Simha said the fair would help in advocacy, network expansion, information flow, capacity building and marketing for women's economic and social empowerment and transformation. “The fair will prove that Nepali women entrepreneurs can contribute to both household income and national economy through entrepreneurship,” she said. Also, as digitalization has become part of people’s everyday life, she expressed belief that the virtual exhibition will help promote Nepali goods both at domestic and international markets. 

Niru Rayemajhi Khatri, first vice-president of the FWEAN, said that it was time to focus on online marketing as it has helped in expanding the domestic market and promoting the products produced by women entrepreneurs even during the global pandemic.  

Shobha Gyawali, second vice president of FWEAN, said the virtual event will be a common ground for exhibition, promotion, marketing and sale of goods and services and encourage women entrepreneurs to promote their business and products in the international market. “Since its inception day, FWEAN has been emphasizing on the need for capacity building and economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs. Although the international fair was organized physically in the previous year, this year’s virtual fair will encourage women entrepreneurs towards online marketing,” she said.

The fair is supported by various organizations such as International Labor Organization, FCA, The Asia Foundation, International Labor Organization, UKAID, Visa Foundation, and Women’s Bank with the technical support of Dolpha Solutions. The fair is sponsored by National Life Insurance, Jyoti Vikas Bank, Sanima Bank, Nepal College of Travel and Tourism Management, Srinagar Agro, Global IME Bank, Laxmi Intercontinental, Citizen Bank, Nimbus, Pashupati Food Industries and the Embassy of Bangladesh in Kathmandu.

The fair has 80 stalls including stalls of handicraft products, items made from natural fiber, Dhaka and handmade paper products, wood products, organic food, jewelry and decorative products, among other things. These include stalls belonging to 57 women entrepreneurs and stalls representing 30 district women entrepreneurs associations. The two stalls are sponsored by an organization that provides skills to socially marginalized women entrepreneurs. Interested participants can visit the fair by logging in to https://expo.winbiz.com.np/

 
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