Sheops Launches the First and Biggest Online Marketplace for Women in Pakistan
Sheops, Pakistan’s first online “women-only” marketplace, was launched today at The Nest i/o, with an aim to provide entrepreneurship and earning opportunities to women and women-owned businesses
According to a news release, Sheops provides women with a safe and hassle-free platform to buy and sell niche fashion, beauty, handmade and lifestyle products, along with artisan food and desserts. Sheops also facilitates stay-at- home women in monetizing their talents, so that they not only become self-reliant but also achieve a greater sense of self-identity. Guests at the launch event included model, actor and fashion designer, Nadia Hussain, anchor and associate professor, Huma Baqai, co-founder of Circle Sadaffe Abid, and President of P@SHA, Jehan Ara among others.
Incubated at The Nest i/o, Sheops had started out as a Facebook group and has now become a buzzing, active community of more than 30,000 ladies of all ages. Nadia Patel Gangjee, the main force behind Sheops, started the venture as a small WhatsApp group when she faced issues buying a cell phone online.
According to Gangjee, after she had put up an ad, she was constantly being harassed by prank callers, which made her realize the need for a secure, close-knit platform to enable women to buy, sell and even network with like-minded women, without any safety issues. A therapeutic tutor and marketing professional,Gangjee is strongly dedicated to the cause of women empowerment in the largely male-dominated Pakistani society, where many women end up sacrificing either their education or career post-marriage to fulfill their family commitments.
The idea of Sheops postulates that women can sell anything new or pre-loved and, hence, monetize both their talent as well as their closet. So far, the network has been joined by scores of women, who have earned thousands at home through Sheops and even become household names because of their quality and finesse. The Sheops website is very simple and user-friendly, enabling women to buy and sell anything in just a few clicks. It also takes the “hassle” out of online selling by handling everything –vetting the buyer, handling the transactions and shipping and marketing of products– so the seller may solely focus on growing her business.
Since its inception around one and a half years ago, Sheops has impacted many lives already and helped women create over 100 businesses from the comforts of their homes.
Nadia has also been selected to represent Sheops at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2016, at Stanford University in Silicon Valley, by the U.S Government, on a trip fully sponsored by their Department of State.