SBP launched women finance code to handle financial barriers faced by women

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reiterated its support for women entrepreneurship and women access to finance by endorsing the Women Entrepreneurship Finance (WE-FI) Code.

Deputy Governor SBP, Saleem Ullah, while addressing the first consultative workshop on the Women Entrepreneurship Finance Code, stated that the SBP was creating a mechanism for women entrepreneurs to not only be a part of Pakistan’s economic development but to also contribute towards it.

According to an official press release issued on Friday, he stated that it meets the SBP’s Strategic Plan 2028, which is focused on the development of an inclusive and sustainable financial system.

The deputy governor emphasized the efforts of the SBP regarding the Banking on Equality Policy and digital solutions for the promotion of women's financial inclusion. However, he also stated that despite the availability of financial services, structural constraints are hampering women entrepreneurs in acquiring formal loans. In light of this, the deputy governor found the WE-Finance Code very useful.

The WE-Finance Code has been endorsed by the SBP on July 7, 2025, to meet the financial needs of women-led business enterprises. SBP has mobilised a coalition of 23 financial institutions, including conventional, Islamic and microfinance banks, along with the Pakistan Banks Association, under the Code's action-oriented framework.

To launch the implementation of the WE-Finance Code, SBP, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), organised a two-day workshop in Islamabad. The event brought together signatory banks, regulators and development partners to formulate a national action plan.