As the federal budget for 2026-27 is set to be presented in the National Assembly, Samina Fazil, Founder President of the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has urged the government to recognize women entrepreneurs as a vital economic asset rather than treating them merely as a welfare category, warning that years of policy commitments have yielded limited practical results and continue to hinder economic growth.
Budget Must Not Overlook Women Entrepreneurs, IWCCI Urges Government
ISLAMABAD, Jun 02 (APP): As the federal budget for 2026-27 is set to be presented in the National Assembly, Samina Fazil, Founder President of the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has urged the government to recognize women entrepreneurs as a vital economic asset rather than treating them merely as a welfare category, warning that years of policy commitments have yielded limited practical results and continue to hinder economic growth.
Speaking on the upcoming budget, Samina Fazil highlighted the persistent underrepresentation of women in Pakistan’s business sector. According to data from the State Bank of Pakistan, women own only around eight percent of the country’s more than five million small and medium enterprises (SMEs). She stressed that the Finance Ministry must bridge the gap between policy rhetoric and actual fiscal commitments before finalizing the budget.
Fazil pointed out that women-focused projects received only 0.2 percent of the federal development budget in 2025-26. Combined allocations for women-focused education and health programs accounted for just 0.57 percent of total spending, while only 1.3 percent of allocations under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) over the last five years were directed toward initiatives specifically benefiting women.
She emphasized that IWCCI’s key budget proposals include the establishment of a dedicated concessional credit line for women entrepreneurs, mandatory representation of women on the boards of the Export Development Fund and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, reserved procurement quotas for women-led businesses in federal contracts, and the replication of Islamabad’s successful G-11 Women’s Marketplace model in provincial capitals.
The chamber is also advocating for greater inclusion of women entrepreneurs in international trade delegations and dedicated land allocations for women-owned enterprises. Fazil noted that while successive governments have made commitments to support women entrepreneurs, implementation has remained weak.
Referring to the National Women Entrepreneurship Policy launched in November 2025, she acknowledged that the initiative aims to increase women’s participation in economic activities, expand women-led exports, and improve access to finance. However, she expressed concern that the policy lacks clear funding commitments and enforcement mechanisms, raising doubts about its effective implementation.
Former Vice President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Naima Ansari, said Pakistan significantly lags behind regional peers in supporting women entrepreneurs.
She noted that Bangladesh’s gender-responsive budget stands at approximately $23.7 billion, while its 2.8 million women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises account for nearly one-quarter of all SMEs in the country.
Similarly, India’s gender budget for 2026-27 is estimated at approximately $52.7 billion, representing 9.37 percent of total federal expenditure, up from 8.86 percent a year earlier. Malaysia, with a population of around 36 million, has allocated approximately $164 million for women and youth entrepreneurship, alongside a $50 million financing facility for low-income women entrepreneurs and a $38 million fund offering four percent interest financing for women-owned small businesses.
Samina Fazil further observed that Pakistan’s proposed Rs17.1 trillion federal budget for 2026-27 targets economic growth of 4.1 percent and tax revenues of Rs15.267 trillion. She argued that expanding women’s participation in the formal economy should be viewed as a growth strategy rather than a welfare measure.
“With fiscal space constrained by rising debt servicing obligations, dedicated budget allocations for women entrepreneurs are essential if the National Women Entrepreneurship Policy is to achieve meaningful outcomes instead of becoming another underfunded policy framework,” she said.
She concluded that empowering women entrepreneurs through targeted financial support, market access, and institutional representation would not only strengthen women’s economic inclusion but also contribute significantly to Pakistan’s long-term economic growth and competitiveness.
