ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Single Window (PSW), CARE Pakistan and Mastercard Centre for Inclusive Growth (MCIG) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support women entrepreneurs by enhancing their digital skills and strengthening business networks.

“Empowering women entrepreneurs is a key priority. We are committed to providing women entrepreneurs with the digital tools and resources they need to thrive in the global marketplace, creating new opportunities for them to grow their businesses and contribute to Pakistan’s economic development,” said Syed Aftab Haider, CEO of PSW.

This initiative will facilitate women-led small businesses to grow and access cross-border trade opportunities.

He said key areas of collaboration included entrepreneurship development through programmes designed to support women in starting and scaling their businesses, and capacity building by offering training in business management, leadership and digital skills.

“The partnership also emphasises networking and mentorship, creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs to connect with peers and industry experts. Advocacy and policy engagement will be promoted to foster a supportive environment for women-led businesses.

The collaboration will further contribute to research and data sharing to support inclusive policymaking and effective programme design, and joint activities such as events, campaigns and workshops will be undertaken to amplify women’s voices in businesses,” he said.

“Through this partnership, we aim to unlock the potential of women-led MSMEs in Pakistan by providing them with the financial tools and resources they need to succeed. This way, we are working to bridge the financial inclusion gap to foster sustainable growth that benefits not just businesses but entire communities,” said Arslan Khan, Mastercard’s country manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2025