Business Desk 
Jul 10, 2025
An undated image of State Bank of Pakistan building in Karachi.—SBP
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) rolled out the WE Finance Code, a global initiative designed to increase financial support for women-focused micro, small and medium enterprises (WMSMEs) in Pakistan.
The Women Entrepreneurship (WE) Finance Code was launched by the World Bank Group in 2023, with the support of 14 governments and 8 large international institutions, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), GIZ, EBRD and IsDB.
The Code gives prominence to the role of financial institutions in disclosing how much they fund WMSMEs, which enhances transparency and accountability.
In February 2025, Pakistan became a member of this international partnership, with SBP as the leading national anchor and ADB as the local implementation technical partner.
As part of this initiative, banks and other financial institutions in Pakistan are encouraged to take a more targeted approach to support women entrepreneurs and align their work through public-private coalitions.
The WE Finance Code is already being operationalised in 18 countries, including the UK, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
SBP has highlighted how increasing access to finance for women could unlock $650 million of revenue for local financial services providers. By adopting the code, banks in Pakistan can also strengthen their market position and support economic empowerment for women.
