5th Int’l Women’s Trade Expo 2021 from Thursday

KATHMANDU, August 31: The 5th International Women’s Trade Expo is scheduled to start on September 2. The expo, which is being organized by the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Associations of Nepal (FWEAN) virtually, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Speaking at a press conference to inform about the five-day expo, FWEAN President Reeta Simha said the fair would prove to be a cornerstone in promoting and marketing the products produced by women in the national and international markets.

She said that the fair could be seen as a platform for women entrepreneurs to contribute to the household income and the national economy through entrepreneurship and business in Nepal at a time when businesses run by women entrepreneurs are continuously growing globally.

Stating that women entrepreneurs are struggling to save and rehabilitate and revive their businesses due to the pandemic, she claimed that the fair will help them face the challenges in marketing their products. “The expo is being organized to encourage women entrepreneurs and promote business. The morale of women entrepreneurs has been boosted by the four previous physical projects,” she said. The expo will strengthen the marketing of goods produced from different parts of the country nationally and internationally.

“The expo is being organized to encourage women entrepreneurs and promote business. The morale of women entrepreneurs has been boosted by the four previous projects,” she said. “The expo will strengthen the marketing of goods produced from different parts of the country nationally and internationally.”

Stating that the federation has been emphasizing capacity building and economic empowerment of women since its inception, she said that it is creating a common ground for women entrepreneurs to exhibit, promote, market and sell goods and services through the virtual medium. Giving more information about the expo, FWEAN Second Vice President Shova Gyawali said that the expo would be an excellent opportunity for communication and coordination among businesspersons and between businesspersons and consumers.

Similarly, FWEAN Senior Vice President and Expo Focal Person Neeru Rayamajhi Khatri presented about the expo in detail.

"The federation, which has been emphasizing women entrepreneurship for two decades, has been working to introduce necessary training and bring products to the international market, and this time it has put forward a new practice," she said. “It will also emphasize the exchange of skills and knowledge.”

For the last four years, FWEAN has been successfully conducting the international women trade expo in Kathmandu.

But this time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exposition could not be organized in physical presence, so virtual webinars and exhibitions are being prepared. The federation has stated that producers and buyers can benefit from the fair from a single platform. The marketing of the products of women entrepreneurs displayed at the Virtual Expo will be continued through the Women in Business e-portal.

Organizations including International Labor Organization, FCA, The Asia Foundation etc have assisted in organizing the expo. The special attractions of the expo will be handicraft items, natural fiber products, dhaka and knitted items, handmade paper items, wood products, organic food, jewelry, decors, and stalls of various service providers.

There will be 79 stalls at the expo and out of them, there will be stalls of 57 women entrepreneurs and 22 stalls representing the District Women Entrepreneurs Association.