A new Women Enterprise Market has been launched in Islamabad’s G-11 sector to support female entrepreneurs and promote financial inclusion through digital business practices.
The facility was inaugurated by Farah Naz Akbar, Member of the National Assembly and Parliamentary Secretary, during a ceremony organized by the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the Capital Development Authority, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, and JazzCash.
The initiative aims to address Pakistan’s significant gender gap in entrepreneurship, where women account for only 1 percent of entrepreneurs compared to 21 percent for men.
Officials stated that the market will operate entirely through cashless transactions, allowing women business owners to become more connected with formal financial systems while improving their digital payment skills and financial literacy.
Speaking at the event, Imtiaz Ali, Senior Deputy Chief Manager at the State Bank of Pakistan, said the initiative is designed to strengthen women entrepreneurs’ practical understanding of digital finance and improve access to banking services.
The project also supports the State Bank’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2024–2028, which aims to reduce the gender gap in banking access from 30 percent to 25 percent.
According to recent figures, women’s financial inclusion in Pakistan has increased from 4 percent to 52 percent, while the banking access gender gap has narrowed from 47 percent in 2018 to 30 percent in 2025.
Despite this progress, women-led businesses continue to face major financing challenges. Data from the 2025 WECON Policy Report shows that only 3.2 percent of SME loans in 2022 were provided to businesses owned by women, while 91 percent of women remain reluctant to use formal financing channels.
Currently, women own only 8 percent of Pakistan’s more than five million small and medium enterprises (SMEs), highlighting the need for greater financial and institutional support for female entrepreneurs.
