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The number of women’s active bank accounts in Pakistan has surged from 20 million to 37 million, according to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad. He shared the progress while addressing a session titled “Capital to Scale: Women Entrepreneurs as Job Creators” at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C.
The session was held on the sidelines of the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG). Governor Ahmad highlighted that the increase in women’s active bank accounts reflects the success of the SBP’s flagship “Banking on Equality” policy launched in September 2021.
He noted that the gender gap in financial inclusion has narrowed from 39 percent to 30 percent, while financing to women has significantly increased. The number of female microfinance borrowers has grown by over 200%, and women’s SME and agricultural financing portfolios have doubled. Over the last three years, banks have also recruited more than 14,600 women.
Governor Ahmad added that the SBP is finalizing the second phase of the “Banking on Equality” policy to introduce digital solutions, business profiling, and remote financing channels for women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The SBP has also adopted the WE-Finance Code, a World Bank initiative, in partnership with 22 banks to strengthen women’s financial inclusion in Pakistan. The initiative aims to address gender-disaggregated data limitations and financing gaps for women entrepreneurs.
