The Gender Gap — at a Glance 2024-25 data
Female LFPR
24.4%
vs 69.8% male = 45.4pp gap
Female Entrepreneurs
1%
vs 21% male — 20× gap
Women-led Startups
10%
LUMS 2024 estimate
Funding to Women-led
1.4%
Of last 7 years (i2i)
Women-owned SMEs
8%
Of 5.2M SMEs (SBP + ADB)
Firms w/ Female Top Mgr
6.3%
WB Enterprise Survey 2022
👩💼 Female LFPR by Province (2024-25)
📈 Female LFPR Trend (2018-19 → 2024-25)
Province-Wise Female Outcomes 2024-25
| Province | Female LFPR % | Female Unemployment % | Best For Women? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICT (Islamabad) | 36% | Low | ✅ Highest — policy access, NIC Islamabad, Easypaisa/Jazz HQ |
| Punjab | 34% | 10% | ✅ LUMS LCE + i2i + PITB Plan9 |
| Sindh | 21% | 6% | ⚠️ Low participation but Nest I/O + Karachi ecosystems |
| KP | 21% | 18% | ⚠️ Highest female unemployment — needs targeted programs |
| Balochistan | 15% | 14% | ❌ Lowest participation, no accelerators |
Women-Led Initiatives Active 2024-2026
Key Challenges Why the gap exists
🚧 Access to Finance
Traditional banks risk-averse, gender bias in lending, limited collateral, low financial literacy. Only 1.4% of VC funding went to women-run startups in 7 years.
👨👩👧 Societal Norms
Family responsibilities, mobility restrictions, traditional gender roles restrict women's participation, especially in KP and Balochistan.
🤝 Networking Gaps
Events and professional associations are male-dominated, limiting mentorship and business connections.
📋 Regulatory Barriers
Complex registration, low awareness of business laws, especially for women in formalizing and scaling businesses.
🎓 Education & Training
Limited access to business education and professional training, especially for women outside urban centres.
💼 Cultural Fit in Tech
Pakistan tech conferences, hackathons, investor meetings skew male — additional barrier for women founders in scaling.
Policy Support Government initiatives
| Initiative | Type | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| We-Fi (Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative) | Multilateral | IFC partnership — strengthens VC ecosystem + funding for women-led businesses |
| PM Youth Business Loan Scheme | Federal | Low-interest loans with female-specific provisions for young entrepreneurs |
| Kamyab Jawan Program | Federal | Financial + technical support, with focus on women entrepreneurs |
| SBP Refinance Scheme for Women | SBP | Women-focused loan windows at commercial banks |
Sources Verification
- LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship — Women in Startups Fact Sheet (March 2025)
- Invest2Innovate — Gender Lens on Startup Investment (October 2025)
- World Bank — Female LFPR Data (2023-2024)
- ILO — Women Entrepreneurs and SMEs in Pakistan (2020)
- PBS — Labour Force Survey 2024-25 (province disaggregation)