Entrepreneurship Policy for Women in the Works as Government Moves to Close Finance Gaps

The government is moving to strengthen Pakistan’s women entrepreneurship framework to address persistent gaps in finance, markets and business support for women-led enterprises.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan said targeted measures were being expanded through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to help women entrepreneurs scale up and compete more effectively. He was speaking at the Joint Pakistan–Azerbaijan Women Entrepreneurship Dialogue in Islamabad.

According to an official statement, the SAPM said women across Pakistan had converted limited resources into viable economic opportunities, contributing to job creation and value chains. He reiterated that national development was not possible without women’s full participation, echoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s view of women as key economic contributors.

While acknowledging women’s leadership across sectors, Haroon Akhtar Khan pointed to structural challenges, including limited access to finance, digital tools and international markets. He said the Ministry of Industries and Production, with SMEDA as its implementing arm, was working to turn women’s economic inclusion into a focused national strategy centred on scale, leadership and competitiveness.

The initiative builds on Pakistan’s first National Women Entrepreneurship Policy announced last year, which aims to expand access to finance, boost women-led exports and strengthen business support systems. Complementing this effort, the State Bank of Pakistan has begun implementing the Women Entrepreneurship Finance (WE-Finance) Code to improve lending access for women-led businesses through gender-sensitive financial products and credit frameworks.

Officials say stronger coordination among regulators, banks and business support institutions will be crucial to delivering tangible gains for women entrepreneurs.