About Us

Pakistan’s economy reflects a stark gender gap. According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2025, Pakistan ranks 148 out of 148 countries. Women face some of the lowest levels of economic opportunity and participation globally, with parity at just 36.2%. Financial inclusion remains limited, with only 13% of women accessing formal financial services and a mere 3% of private sector SME lending reaching women-led businesses. These barriers contribute to an entrepreneurship rate of only 1.4% among adult women. The resulting economic disparity not only exposes women to heightened life-cycle risks but also constrains Pakistan’s overall growth potential. The IMF estimates that Pakistan’s GDP could increase by up to 30% if female labour force participation improves. Expanding women’s financial inclusion is therefore critical to unlocking broader economic opportunities.

Karandaaz Women Ventures was launched to address this challenge to demonstrate a successful model for gender finance and establishing the creditworthiness of women-led businesses. Today, Women Ventures represents one of the largest private sector–led gender finance portfolios in Pakistan. Originating as the Women Economic Challenge in 2017, the programme was institutionalized in 2020 to ensure sustained expansion and to allow applications on a rolling basis. Over time, its model has been refined to provide not only growth capital but also tailored support, enabling women-led businesses to scale sustainably and transition into the wider financing ecosystem.