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The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has officially started implementing the Women Entrepreneurship Finance (WE-Finance) Code, a strategic initiative designed to increase financial access for women-led businesses. The move comes as part of SBP’s broader mission to create an inclusive financial system and support women entrepreneurs in contributing fully to Pakistan’s economic growth.
At the launch event of the WE-Finance Code Consultative Workshop, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Deputy Governor Saleem Ullah said,
“We are building pathways that ensure women entrepreneurs can fully participate in and contribute to Pakistan’s economic growth.” He emphasized SBP’s ongoing commitment to promote women entrepreneurship and enhance their access to finance under its Strategic Plan 2028.
Deputy Governor Saleem Ullah highlighted that, despite improvements in financial services access, structural barriers still prevent many women from securing formal credit. He described the WE-Finance Code as a practical framework to address these challenges and drive actionable change.
Adopted by SBP on July 7, 2025, the Code aims to remove financial obstacles faced by women-led businesses. SBP is leading the initiative with a coalition of 23 financial institutions, including conventional, Islamic, and microfinance banks, working alongside the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA). Together, these organizations are committed to the Code’s action-oriented framework.
The implementation kicked off with a two-day workshop in Islamabad, organized by SBP in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The event brought together signatory banks, regulators, and development partners to design a national action plan. Discussions focused on gender-intelligent product innovation, better data collection, improved credit appraisal methods, and strategies specifically tailored for women-led enterprises.
The Industry Consultative Workshop provided a platform for participants to review gaps in women’s access to finance.
Key topics included:
- Market segmentation for women
- Developing women-focused portfolio strategies
- Enhancing lending products for women-led MSMEs
- Strengthening reporting frameworks
- Reinforcing institutional commitment through the WE-Finance Code Charter.
Ahead of the workshop, senior officials from SBP and ADB conducted a road show for key stakeholders beyond the financial sector. They met with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA). The dialogues focused on improving policy coordination, inter-agency collaboration, and expanding the national coalition supporting the WE-Finance Code.
