Pakistan Single Window (PSW) held a Khadijah Women Entrepreneurship Program session in Karachi to equip women entrepreneurs with the knowledge, financial linkages and institutional support needed to enter international trade. The session was titled “Access to Opportunity: Enabling Women Entrepreneurs.”
PSW organized the event in collaboration with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and Mashreq Bank. The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and IBA Centre for Entrepreneurial Development, Innovation & Research (IBA-CEDIR) also participated. Participants received guidance on digital trade facilitation, business development, financial inclusion, export readiness and access to international markets.
Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, Member of the National Assembly, attended as a guest. FPCCI Senior Vice President Saquib Fayyaz Magoon and United Business Group Patron-in-Chief S. M. Tanveer were among the trade leaders present.
Mashreq Bank conducted a session titled “Women, Finance & Global Trade,” covering financial inclusion, digital banking and trade finance for women-led businesses. Mashreq Bank Pakistan CEO Muhammad Hamayun Sajjad leads the bank’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs in accessing finance and expanding into global markets.
Participants were briefed on export procedures, regulatory requirements, business formalization, digital banking, trade finance, e-commerce and market access. PSW explained Pakistan’s evolving digital trade environment and the role of paperless, integrated regulatory processes in simplifying cross-border transactions. TDAP spoke on export development and opportunities for women-led enterprises.
The engagement complemented the work of TDAP’s Women Entrepreneurship Division, headed by Additional Secretary Fouzia Perveen Chaudhry. SMEDA addressed enterprise development and business readiness, while SBP and Mashreq Bank discussed digital financial services. FPCCI presented the business community’s perspective, and IBA-CEDIR focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.
PSW CEO Syed Aftab Haider said the program’s continued engagement in Karachi reflects PSW’s commitment to creating practical pathways for women entrepreneurs in cross-border trade. “By bringing together trade bodies, enterprise development institutions, financial sector stakeholders and regulatory organizations, we are helping women-led businesses access the knowledge, tools and institutional linkages needed to grow and connect with international markets,” he said.
FPCCI Vice President Qurrat ul Ain said market access for women-led businesses must be supported by access to finance, digital tools and a clear understanding of trade processes. She said initiatives such as the Khadijah Program connect women entrepreneurs with institutions that can support them at different stages of their export journey.
FPCCI Senior Vice President Saquib Fayyaz Magoon said women entrepreneurs are an important and growing segment of Pakistan’s business community. He said the program connects women-led businesses with trade institutions, financial services and export guidance, and that FPCCI remains committed to supporting an enabling environment for women-owned enterprises to formalize and grow.
PSW is continuing to strengthen the Khadijah Program as a link between digital trade infrastructure and business opportunity for women-led enterprises.
