KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has formally begun the implementation of the Women Entrepreneurship Finance (WE-FI) Code, a national initiative aimed at reducing financial barriers faced by women-led businesses and expanding their access to formal credit.
The code, adopted on July 7, 2025, was launched through a two-day consultative workshop held in Islamabad in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The workshop brought together representatives from signatory banks, regulators and development partners to develop a national action plan for the effective execution of the framework, the central bank said in a statement on Friday.
Addressing the inaugural session, SBP Deputy Governor Saleem Ullah said the initiative was designed to create pathways that allow women entrepreneurs to fully participate in Pakistan’s economic growth. He reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to promoting women’s entrepreneurship and improving access to finance as part of SBP’s Strategic Plan 2028, which prioritises an inclusive and sustainable financial system.
Mr Saleem noted that while women’s access to financial services has improved in recent years, deep-rooted structural challenges continue to restrict women entrepreneurs’ ability to secure formal financing. He said the WE-FI Code provides a practical and action-oriented framework to address these gaps. He also highlighted SBP’s ongoing efforts to promote women’s financial inclusion through its “banking on equality” policy and various digital finance initiatives.
As the lead implementing agency for the code in Pakistan, the SBP has mobilised a coalition of 23 financial institutions, including conventional, Islamic and microfinance banks, along with the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA). These institutions have committed to aligning their policies and practices with the code’s objectives, which focus on improving lending outcomes for women-owned and women-led enterprises.
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According to the central bank, discussions during the workshop centred on developing gender-intelligent financial products, strengthening credit appraisal mechanisms tailored to women entrepreneurs, and improving data collection and reporting to better track progress. Participants also explored ways to address unconscious bias in lending practices and enhance institutional capacity to serve women-led businesses more effectively.
Saleem highlighted SBP’s continued commitment to advancing women’s financial inclusion through banking on equality policy and digital initiatives.https://t.co/t3rfWo0jUz
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Ahead of the workshop, senior officials from the SBP and ADB conducted a roadshow on the WE-FI Code to engage key stakeholders beyond the banking sector. As part of this outreach, the delegation held strategic discussions with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, aiming to ensure broader ecosystem support for women entrepreneurs.
The SBP said sustained collaboration among financial institutions, regulators and development partners would be essential to translating the code’s commitments into measurable improvements in women’s access to finance and business growth.
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