Pakistan will introduce policy to expand financing, support of women’s businesses

Pakistan is set to launch its first National Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy aimed at promoting women’s financial inclusion through dedicated funding for women-specific initiatives. The policy also seeks to expand existing federal and provincial schemes, encourage financial institutions to introduce women-friendly products and implement the State Bank’s Equality Banking Policy along with the SECP’s Women’s Equality in Finance Policy.

Key policy outcomes include pilot interventions under the National WEP. The policy aims to increase the employment of women by 5%, from the current 2% and plans to boost women exporters to 50% of the 2,500 that exist. It also proposes a 20% increase in co-working spaces, allocates 15% of the SME Fund revenue to women entrepreneurs and reserves 5% of the Export Development Fund for women exporters. Another goal is to support 20% of BISP beneficiaries in high-risk zones and provide access to information to 100,000 women entrepreneurs.

SMEDA and FPCCI jointly celebrated Women Entrepreneurship Day in Islamabad, bringing together more than 21 Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry from across Pakistan. The event highlighted the growing role of women entrepreneurs in promoting inclusive and sustainable economic progress.

Addressing the ceremony and later addressing the media at the FPCCI headquarters, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan, lauded the determination and innovation of the women of Pakistan. He announced that Pakistan will soon introduce the National Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has placed women at the center of economic development.

Key initiatives

An important policy initiative is the Women’s Entrepreneurship Portal, which is being developed in partnership with FCDO. The AI-enabled portal will connect business support organizations and regulators and provide mentoring opportunities.

Under the $2.2 million ADB Women Inclusive Finance Program, special programs will include a digital engagement initiative using non-smartphones, educational content in multiple languages, and retraining and reintegration schemes for housewives. Rural women enterprises and livelihood enhancement will also be supported along with the creation of a dedicated hub and an institutional hub.

A product development support program will establish a design unit at SMEDA with leading fashion and textile universities. It will facilitate access to finance for home and micro female entrepreneurs, improve export readiness, support participation in international exhibitions and connect women to grant opportunities. Support for climate smart businesses will include green finance and circular economy initiatives. It recommends SMEDA as the nodal agency for implementation.

The WEP also seeks to support women’s transition from the informal to the formal sector, develop fiscal packages, reduce regulatory costs, enhance market access and strengthen initiatives such as Pakistan’s Khadija Single Window Program.