'Entrepreneurship policy for women in the works'

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan, addressed the Joint Pakistan-Azerbaijan Women Entrepreneurship Dialogue as the chief guest, highlighting the role of women entrepreneurs in driving inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

According to an official statement issued on Monday, the SAPM said women had transformed limited resources into opportunities, contributing steadily to Pakistan's economy. He said women from rural areas to urban centres were actively engaged in business, industry and trade, strengthening communities and value chains across the country.

Referring to the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he said national progress was not possible without the active participation of women. He reiterated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's view that women were key contributors to society and the economy.

Haroon Akhtar Khan acknowledged contributions of women in education, healthcare, business and public service, saying Pakistani women had demonstrated leadership across sectors. He also cited challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, including limited access to finance, digital tools and international markets. Despite these constraints, he said women continued to move forward with resilience and creativity. He said the government was seeking to turn women's economic inclusion into a defined national strategy, with emphasis on leadership, scale and competitiveness.

He said the Ministry of Industries and Production, with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority as its implementation arm, was strengthening support for women-led enterprises. SMEDA was providing training, mentoring, advisory services, market access support and business development facilitation for women entrepreneurs.