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Home » Bureaus/Offices Reporting Directly to the Secretary » Office of Global Women's Issues » Policy and Programs » Propelling Women's Entrepreneurship in Pakistan

Propelling Women’s Entrepreneurship in Pakistan (PWEP) Mentorship Program

The U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues in collaboration with Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Women Initiative, the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and OPEN (Organization for Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America)

Supporting Pakistani Women Entrepreneurs in Expanding and Strengthening their Businesses by Connecting them with Successful Professional Women Mentors

A select group of women will be chosen to be mentors in the first collaborative program between the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Women Initiative, and the Thunderbird School of Global Management to expand women entrepreneurship in Pakistan. This opportunity will make a difference in the lives of female entrepreneurs by providing a network that fosters sustainable change and economic empowerment for women in Pakistan.

Details of the program: (The deadline to return the application has passed.)

• Ten women have been selected from different parts of Pakistan, including Sindh, Punjab, and NWFP, all of whom speak English and have no prior business training.
• The 10 women will travel to Phoenix, Arizona for a two-week intensive training program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management where they will develop a business plan with concrete goals and objectives.
• After the intensive training, they will travel to Washington, D.C. to continue their training through a mentorship program. They will be paired with a mentor, who has experience in their specific field or strengths in their areas of weakness. The mentor will review their business plan, provide feedback on actions to achieve their goals, and assist the candidate in developing three to five action plans, which will help their companies benefit their community and businesses.

The initial program will consist of 10 women entrepreneurs who have businesses in the following areas:

Role of Selected Mentors:

• Serve as a mentor to one female Pakistani entrepreneur for at least one year.
• Work with mentee over a three-day program in Washington, D.C. to strengthen their business plan, develop strategies for expansion, overcome identified weaknesses, and build their networks.
• Hold approximately one hour conversations with your mentee once a month for one year to discuss business progress, challenges, goals, provide advice as needed etc. This dialogue could take place in the form of emails, skype conversations or webex meetings. Mentor and mentee can determine the most effective and feasible way to communicate.

Expectations:

• Prepare a reference packet with bio, resume, photo, interests, expectations and goals for the mentee in order to become more familiar with one another.
• Review your mentee’s reference packet before the three-day mentorship program in Washington, D.C. and connect with them through email and at least one phone conversation.
• May 17^th: Attend the morning reception and a late afternoon session where you work one-on-one with your mentee. The evening should be reserved for a one-on-one dinner with your mentee.
• May 18^th: Attend early morning and late afternoon sessions. Attend evening graduation ceremony and reception.
• May 19^th: Job Shadowing Day – invite your mentee to shadow you for the morning. You can also arrange meetings for them that you think would be beneficial or establish a work station so that your mentee can work independently.