Women’s Economic Empowerment Tops PM’s SME Vision as Pakistan Finalizes First Women Entrepreneurship Policy

By Farzana Chaudhry | Lahore
Lahore: Women’s economic empowerment has been declared a central pillar of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s SME development vision, as Pakistan moves closer to approving its first-ever Women Entrepreneurship Policy.
This was highlighted by SMEDA Board Member and Head of the Women Entrepreneurship Sub-Committee, Aasia Sail, while addressing a delegation from the National Women Journalists Forum at the headquarters of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority in Lahore.
The delegation, led by Forum President Farzana Chaudhry, included several prominent women journalists.
Speaking on the occasion, Aasia Sail said that integrating women into the national economy is a key priority under the government’s SME strategy. She revealed that a comprehensive Women Entrepreneurship Policy has been finalized and submitted to the federal cabinet for approval.
She noted that the government is committed to providing women with full support, including collateral-free financing, particularly for micro-enterprises, where most women-led businesses operate. These enterprises have now been formally incorporated into SME policy frameworks, alongside a dedicated facilitation policy for women.
Highlighting ongoing initiatives, she said that SMEDA has already taken practical steps to promote women-led businesses. At the “Made in Pakistan” SME Expo held at Lahore Expo Centre, women entrepreneurs formed the largest segment. Similarly, strong institutional backing was extended to women participants at the “Made in Gujranwala” exhibition in Karachi.
On financial access, Sail disclosed that a proposal for a special endowment fund will soon be presented to the Prime Minister to ease financial barriers and improve women’s access to business loans.
During the session, SMEDA General Manager Shehryar Tahir briefed participants on policy measures, while Deputy General Manager Tania Butt highlighted services offered through the Women Entrepreneurship Development Cell.
Later, SMEDA CEO Nadia Jahangir Seth thanked the visiting journalists and urged them to raise awareness about government initiatives under the Ministry of Industries and Production aimed at strengthening women’s economic independence.
Meanwhile, Forum President Farzana Chaudhry proposed organizing business training workshops for women journalists at press clubs. Both sides agreed to collaborate on such initiatives in the near future.