Pakistan is preparing to launch its first National Women Entrepreneurship Policy, a nationwide framework aimed at improving women’s financial inclusion through dedicated financing, tailored banking products and expanded support programmes at federal and provincial levels, according to a news report.
The policy also seeks to operationalise the State Bank’s Banking on Equality guidelines and the SECP’s Women Equality in Finance Policy.
According to official documents, the policy proposes a series of measurable outcomes, including raising women’s employment to 5% from the current 2%, increasing the number of women exporters by 50%, expanding co-working spaces by 20%, and allocating 15% of SME Fund proceeds to women entrepreneurs. It further recommends reserving 5% of the Export Development Fund for women-led export initiatives and providing at least 100,000 women entrepreneurs with access to business information. Another focus area is supporting 20% of BISP beneficiaries living in high-risk disaster zones.
The announcement came during an event in Islamabad jointly organised by SMEDA and the FPCCI to mark Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. More than 21 Women’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry from across the country participated, underscoring the growing role of women in Pakistan’s economic landscape.
Addressing the ceremony, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan said the government would soon unveil the National Women Entrepreneurship Policy. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had placed women at the centre of economic decision-making and stressed that women entrepreneurs were already contributing meaningfully to sustainable growth.
A key feature of the policy is the Women Entrepreneurship Portal, being developed with support from the FCDO. The AI-enabled platform will connect women to business support organisations, regulators and mentorship opportunities. Under the ADB’s $2.2 million Women Inclusive Finance Programme, additional initiatives include digital engagement for non-smartphone users, multilingual training content, re-skilling programmes for homemakers and rural enterprise support. A dedicated institutional hub and special cell are also planned.
The policy further includes a product development support initiative that will establish a design cell at SMEDA in partnership with leading fashion and textile universities. The programme aims to strengthen export readiness, link women to grant opportunities, support participation in global exhibitions and improve access to finance for home-based and micro women entrepreneurs. Climate-smart business support, including green financing and circular economy projects, is also part of the plan.
