#BridgingTheGap Volume VII: Digital Literacy and Life Skills Workshop for Female Microentrepreneurs

On January 15-16, 2025, CBS launched the seventh volume of its flagship “#BridgingTheGap: Digital Literacy Workshop Series for Female Microentrepreneurs”. Held in partnership with Kaarvan Crafts Foundation, the one-day session featured 21 microentrepreneurs from various districts of Punjab.  

The day kicked off with an ice-breaking, pre-assessment survey from the microentrepreneurs and a session on self-resilience led by Dr. Misbah Tanveer (Faculty Director, CBS). This was followed by sessions on WhatsApp Business and Instagram delivered by Anum Hussain (Marketing and Programmes Associate) and Khadija Ikram (Grants and Projects Associate) from the CBS team respectively, to the microentrepreneurs. In these hands-on sessions, female microentrepreneurs explored how to leverage these platforms to expand their business reach and engage customers effectively. The WhatsApp Business session highlighted tools like automated responses, catalogue setup, and customer interaction strategies, enabling participants to manage communications professionally. The Instagram session introduced content creation tips, visual storytelling through stories, posts and reels, and best practices for reaching new audiences. Together, these sessions equipped the women with practical skills to promote their businesses online, build brand visibility, and connect with customers in a digital-first marketplace. 

A session on Catalogue Photography led by Arzoo Ali Gauhar (Head of Unit, CBS) taught various tips and tricks on how to do product photography on smartphones. A demo session featured the artisans' taking pictures of their products and uploading on their digital platform.  

The second day featured a session on Customer Negotiation Skills by Dr. Misbah Tanveer. Which was followed by a session on Facebook Marketing led by Arzoo Ali Gauhar and facilitated by the CBS team. The session also featured a demo session on conducting Facebook live sessions for sales.  

The workshop concluded with a post assessment survey to analyze the impact of the workshop followed by an exhibition in which the artisans showcased their products to the audience.