Women Micro-Entrepreneurship Expo 2025 Organized -

STAFF REPORT ISLAMABAD: Shirakat Foundation, formerly known as Shirakat – Partnership for Development, in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan, successfully organized the Women MicroEntrepreneurship Expo 2025 at the State Bank premises in Islamabad. The Expo served as a vibrant platform for women micro-entrepreneurs to showcase their products, share their entrepreneurial journeys, and engage directly with key stakeholders, thereby strengthening market linkages and networking opportunities. The esteemed SBP Governor Mr. Jameel Ahmed visited women’s stalls and had candid conversations with them. Women shared their experiences with digital onboarding as well as providing valuable feedback to the Governor. The seminar opened with a welcome address by Ms. Bilquis Tahira, Executive Director of Shirakat Foundation, who shared Shirakat’s journey since 2010. Shirakat works on social and gender justice, economic justice and climate justice. Under its sustainable livelihoods programme, she highlighted the organization’s contributions, including vocational and technical training training more than 6,000 youth with a 66% employability rate, supporting 1,250 women-led businesses, establishing Pakistan’s first women’s agricultural cooperative with 750 members, enrolling over 11,000 girls in schools, and reaching over two million people through gender-based violence prevention campaigns. The first ever Association of Women Microentrepreneurs called ‘Pur Azm’ was launched on the occasion by women micro-entrepreneurs. They highlighted the main abjectives of the Association including providing technical support such as capacity building of members and advocacy with the authorities to provide them better opportunities. The first ever directory of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan, developed and printed by Shirakat was shared with the participants. A series of distinguished speakers delivered insightful addresses on women’s empowerment, financial literacy, digital inclusion, and sustainable growth. Ms. Simona Lanzoni, Vice President and Head of Projects at the Pangea Foundation, underscored the organization’s global commitment to advancing women’s socio-economic empowerment and addressing gender-based violence. She commended Shirakat Foundation, along with institutions such as the Chamber of Commerce and the State Bank of Pakistan, for recognizing and supporting women-led microenterprises—describing it as a vital step toward positioning women as equal partners in economic and social development. Mr. Imtiaz Ali, Senior Deputy Chief Manager at SBP BSC Islamabad, delivered an address on “Financial Literacy and Women’s Empowerment.” He emphasized that the long-term sustainability of women-led businesses depends on adopting sound financial management practices such as budgeting, recordkeeping, and informed decision-making. He encouraged women entrepreneurs to strengthen their financial knowledge in order to build resilience, improve access to credit, and enhance their competitiveness in the market.