ISLAMABAD, JAN 19 /DNA/ – Women are steadily reshaping the economic landscape of Pakistan by entering new sectors, creating jobs, and strengthening household incomes, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan said on Monday.
He was speaking at the 4th All Pakistan Women Chambers Presidents International Conference being held at Islamabad, organized by Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce (IWCCI).
Khan said women-led enterprises were no longer confined to micro or informal activities and were increasingly visible in manufacturing, services, information technology, agribusiness, and exports. This shift he said, was changing how markets function and how families cope with inflation, rising energy costs, and weak growth.
Haroon Akhtar Khan said official data showed women’s participation in small and medium enterprises had increased over the past decade, but policy gaps and weak access to finance still limited scale and productivity. He stressed that unlocking women’s potential was essential for sustaining growth under fiscal pressure.
He said women entrepreneurs were helping diversify exports through value-added products, particularly in textiles, food processing, and digital services. This diversification, he said, reduced reliance on a few commodities and supported foreign exchange earnings at a time when Pakistan faced persistent forex constraints.
He said there was a visible shift from survival-based businesses to growth-oriented firms led by educated women using digital platforms and formal banking channels. He pointed to recent initiatives aimed at easing business registration, expanding credit guarantees, and linking women-owned firms to public procurement.
However, he acknowledged dissenting views from small traders and women business owners, who said that access to affordable credit remained limited despite policy announcements. Representatives of women’s chambers said high interest rates, collateral requirements, and delays in bank approvals continued to exclude many viable businesses. Workers’ groups also raised concerns that informal women workers were still outside social protection schemes.
Haroon Akhtar Khan assured the government will address these gaps. He said evidence showed firms with women leadership were more resilient during economic shocks.
He said that translating commitments into outcomes, including higher women’s participation in formal employment, an increased share of women-owned manufacturing, and improved access to finance, is a challenge.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Samina Fazil, founder President, IWCCI, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Khizer Feradov, Commissioner SECP Muzaffar Mirza, Deputy Director DGTO Pir Shah Gul, Secretary General of UBG Zafar Bakhtawri.
