ISLAMABAD: Highlighting women-centric metrics, the Economic Survey noted that 250 women have been registered for training as boxers under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme.

A total of 2,981 women have been registered for onward activities in FY2025, which include 250 for boxing and 2,731 for cricket. Young female athletes have also been encouraged register for other sports, including handball and judo.

The Economic Survey 2024-25 also highlights that a lack of autonomy and opportunities for women were among the key drivers of high fertility and population growth rates.

Economic Survey says 20m active bank accounts held by women; 12,000 female entrepreneurs supported by incubation centres

“Limited access to education and reproductive health services often restricts their ability to make informed decisions about family planning,” the survey added.

At the same time, it has been noted that gender parity was an essential component of building a prosperous and inclusive society.

The survey recognises the role of women in country’s socio-economic development, saying that the government is implementing the ‘Prime Minister’s Women Empowerment Package 2024’ across the country.

This includes interest-free loans, skills training, and day-care centres for working women; and the Women Pink Bus Service and the Women on Wheels Project, which have been launched to improve women’s mobility and safety, particularly in urban areas.

The Survey also emphasises the need for gender-sensitive safety policies, particularly for women in domestic and agricultural work.

It notes that the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2023 has surpassed its target of 20 million active bank accounts for women.

Meanwhile, the IT ministry and PTA have launched Pakistan’s first-ever digital gender inclusion strategy to address the barriers hindering women’s access to mobile and ICT services.

In addition, National Incubation Centres have supported over 1,900 startups till March 2025, and more than 12,000 women entrepreneurs have been empowered through it.

The National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) claimed to have empowered 650 women under the ‘She Fixes’ initiative in various trades.

The Family Planning and Primary Healthcare Programme (PHC) has recruited more than 3,068 LHWs in AJK covering 67 percent of the population, providing key services encompassing the health conditions of women and children.

The ‘Benazir Nashonuma Program’ (BNP) continued to support vulnerable groups by providing targeted assistance — cash transfers and nutritious food — to pregnant and lactating women and children under two years of age.

Pakistan is investing heavily on social protection of women and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) has disbursed Rs2.19 billion, with 68 per cent of the borrowers being women.

The flagship initiative ‘Benazir Income Support Programme’ disbursed Rs385.64 billion to approximately 9.87 million beneficiaries up to 31st March, 2025.

Women Empowerment Centres invested Rs477.85m on training 26,706 widows, orphans, and underprivileged girls in various trades, including tailoring, sewing, knitting, computer skills, and embroidery, and also provide free materials necessary for the courses.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2025