‘OICCI Women’ is a flagship initiative of the chamber which is intended to promote women being given the fair opportunity to take leadership role in our member companies. Over the years, this initiative has morphed to embrace the Diversity and Inclusion agenda as well, with special focus on increasing women inclusion in Pakistan’s economy. As thought leaders for gender inclusion in Pakistan, OICCI has remained a stalwart in promoting women empowerment and have consistently raised our collective voice to improve women empowerment efforts beyond the scope of the corporate sector. OICCI conducted detailed research with over 400 women across multiple industries to prepare a set of recommendations to add value to government policy regarding increasing women inclusion in the economy by providing a level playing field in the professional sector and thereby, uplifting the status of women in our country. The research covered obstacles hindering the economic prosperity and financial independence of women and the subsequent governmental reforms required to support women’s employment and career growth. The first part of this working paper titled, Increasing Women Inclusion in Pakistan’s Economy, was shared with relevant stakeholders in 2021, with the second part currently being updated to incorporate the themes of Slow Career Growth, Impact of Dual Careers, and Female Health in Work-Life Balance.

In an effort to emphasize best inclusion practices, OICCI compiled the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Handbook to highlight members’ best practices related to implementing the D&I agenda within their companies. These would help create opportunities for inclusivity by eliminating barriers to create the enabling environment required for women and other excluded groups to thrive and grow. These practices included policies aimed on building Inclusive Workspaces and Facilities, creating an enabling environment to help grow female talent, developing safety nets, and extending Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Value Chain. The aim behind this was to inspire momentum for a gender equal and inclusive labor force within this decade. The OICCI Women Empowerment Awards is an annual stalwart event with the 5th edition being held in 2022, in continuation of the Women Empowerment Awards that was launched in December 2018. The event aims to recognize the efforts of OICCI member companies in empowering women aligned to one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “Women Empowerment/Gender Equality”.