PSW Links Women Entrepreneurs with Trade, Finance and Business Support

KARACHI: Pakistan Single Window (PSW) brought together leading trade, financial and enterprise development institutions in Karachi to help women entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses and access international markets.

The session, held under the Khadijah Women Entrepreneurship Program with the theme “Access to Opportunity: Enabling Women Entrepreneurs,” focused on export readiness, financial inclusion, digital trade, business formalisation and global market opportunities.

The programme was organised in collaboration with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and Mashreq Bank. Representatives of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and IBA Centre for Entrepreneurial Development, Innovation & Research (IBA-CEDIR) also participated.

Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, Member of the National Assembly, attended the event. Prominent business leaders included Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, Senior Vice President of FPCCI, and S.M. Tanveer, Patron-in-Chief of United Business Group.

Focus on Finance and Global Trade

Mashreq Bank conducted a session titled “Women, Finance & Global Trade,” covering financial inclusion, digital banking and trade finance for women-led businesses.

The session highlighted the importance of connecting women entrepreneurs with financial services as they expand into domestic and international markets.

Participants also received practical guidance on export procedures, regulatory requirements, e-commerce, business formalisation and access to international buyers.

Institutions Offer Export and Business Guidance

PSW briefed participants on Pakistan’s digital trade environment and the role of integrated, paperless regulatory processes in facilitating cross-border transactions.

TDAP shared information on export development, market access and opportunities for women-led enterprises. The engagement also complemented the work of TDAP’s Women Entrepreneurship Division, headed by Fouzia Perveen Chaudhry, Additional Secretary and Head of the division.

SMEDA provided guidance on enterprise development and business readiness, while SBP and Mashreq Bank discussed banking, financial inclusion and digital financial services.

FPCCI contributed the perspective of the wider business community, while IBA-CEDIR focused on entrepreneurship, innovation and enterprise development.

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PSW Highlights Multi-Stakeholder Approach

Syed Aftab Haider, CEO of PSW, said the programme was aimed at creating practical pathways for women entrepreneurs to participate more effectively in cross-border trade.

“Our continued engagement in Karachi under the Khadijah Program reflects our commitment to creating practical pathways for women entrepreneurs to participate more effectively in cross-border trade,” he said.

He added that bringing trade bodies, enterprise development institutions, financial stakeholders and regulators together could help women-led businesses gain access to knowledge, tools and institutional support.

Qurrat ul Ain, Vice President of FPCCI, said sustainable growth for women-led businesses required access to markets, finance and digital tools alongside a clear understanding of trade procedures.

Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, Senior Vice President of FPCCI, said women entrepreneurs represented an important and growing segment of Pakistan’s business community.

He said initiatives such as the Khadijah Program could help connect women-owned businesses with trade institutions, financial services and practical export guidance.

PSW said it would continue engaging women entrepreneurs and institutional partners to strengthen the Khadijah Program as a link between digital trade infrastructure and business opportunities.