More than one hundred and four thousand young women entrepreneurs have secured Rs29 billion in financing under the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme, according to figures highlighting continued efforts to expand women’s access to formal financing across Pakistan. The data was presented in a written reply submitted by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb to the National Assembly, showing that one hundred and four thousand two hundred and thirty seven women entrepreneurs had received financing under the scheme as of the thirty first of May, twenty twenty six.
The figures were provided in response to a question from Member of the National Assembly Doctor Nafisa Shah regarding women’s financial inclusion and the barriers faced by female micro-entrepreneurs. According to Aurangzeb, women’s financial inclusion had reached fifty five percent by December 2025, while the gender gap in bank account ownership had narrowed to twenty nine percent, pointing to gradual but measurable progress in closing longstanding disparities in financial access between men and women in Pakistan.
Women and businesses owned by women accounted for thirteen percent of total commercial loans and nine percent of credit extended to the private sector as of March 2026. When microfinance borrowers are included in these figures, women’s share increased to eighteen percent of commercial loans and eleven percent of private sector credit, reflecting a somewhat stronger presence of women within the microfinance segment compared to conventional commercial banking.
The State Bank of Pakistan has also introduced separate measures aimed at improving women’s access to financing, including the Women Inclusive Finance Program. Under this Asian Development Bank funded initiative, participating financial institutions had disbursed more than Rs46 billion to five hundred and forty six thousand one hundred and forty four women borrowers through credit line facilities by March 2026, representing a parallel and considerably larger channel of financing support for women entrepreneurs beyond the youth loan scheme alone.
The Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme was launched in January 2023 with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship among young Pakistanis, and includes a specific requirement that at least twenty five percent of loans disbursed under the scheme be allocated to women entrepreneurs. Financing under the scheme remains available to eligible women seeking to either start new businesses or expand existing ones, with the continued disbursement figures reflecting sustained government attention toward closing gender gaps in access to formal business financing across the country.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
