Gender gap in financial inclusion narrows

Dawn reported that the State Bank of Pakistan introduced a follow-up to its Banking on Equality policy on Tuesday. According to the central bank, the first framework, introduced in 2021 as the country's first gender-mainstreaming initiative for banks, helped lower the gap in financial inclusion between men and women from 39pc to 29pc in 2025. The SBP also linked women's inclusion to long-term economic prosperity and to its Vision 2028 strategy.

Lenders brought in more than 17,500 women under the first policy, lifting the female share of staff from 13pc to 17pc. Banks also set up dedicated women's financial services units to design women-centric products. The central bank recently received the Policy Achievement Award for Gender Inclusive Finance 2026 from the Alliance for Financial Inclusion.

Targets have been set for women's hiring, customer outreach and branchless banking agents under the new framework. Banks are also urged to offer day-care support for employed mothers and to adopt career progression plans that help mid-career women reach leadership positions. The policy also pushes digital onboarding drives, simpler accounts and wider financing for women-led small enterprises. To track progress, the SBP will introduce an evaluation framework, with quarterly bank data submissions and mystery-shopping tests.