The first Women Entrepreneurs’ Handicraft Fair is scheduled to kick off on Saturday at Basantapur in a bid to provide them an opportunity to showcase their products and learn from each other to boost their business.
Organised by the Federation of Handicraft Associations of
Nepal (Fhan) and the Industry Council of the Women Entrepreneurship Development Committee, the event will bring together women entrepreneurs from across the country.
The organiser said that all the preparations had been completed for the expo which will contain 50 stalls displaying handicraft products like bamboo goods, silver jewellery, woodcraft and cotton and felt garments, among others.
“This is the first time we are holding an expo focusing on handicraft items made by women. We hope that it will play a crucial role in promoting and marketing their products among buyers,” said Hem Ratna Shakya, president of Fhan. He added that the fair would also provide a platform for holding business meetings between manufacturers, exporters and importers.
“Handicraft is the one of the country’s largest exports, and it can contribute much to economic development,” he said, adding that Nepal witnessed a 15 percent growth in exports during the first half of this fiscal year.
According to Fhan, handicraft items worth around Rs 2.45 billion were exported in the first half of this fiscal year compared to Rs 2.08 billion during the same period last year. It is estimated that 1.1 million people are directly or indirectly involved in the handicraft industry and women entrepreneurs make up 50 percent of them.
“Handicraft is the best platform for women entrepreneurship,” said Sharda Rijal, vice-president of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal. “But due to lack of proper marketing and business linkages, they have not been able to achieve the targeted growth. These types of events will help to promote the development of competitive products and creativity besides expanding networking among entrepreneurs.”
Similarly, Bina Gautam, managing director of Cottage Handicrafts Exhibition and Sales, said, “I am excited to meet other women entrepreneurs and learn from them besides displaying a wide range of innovative products. I hope this expo will provide greater exposure for me.”
Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) are the co-organisers of the event. Entry is free. The organisers have projected 60,000 visitors and transactions of Rs 5,000,000 during the two-day expo.
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