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ISLAMABAD, May 20, 2026: The leadership of the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry thanked the Capital Development Authority, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, State Bank of Pakistan, and JazzCash for helping establish Islamabad’s first dedicated marketplace for women entrepreneurs.
The leaders said the initiative has opened long-awaited business opportunities for women in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and nearby cities.
Samina Fazil said the Women Enterprise Market in G-11 became possible because of the support of CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf and Anam Fatima. According to her, both institutions allocated commercial space at a time when women entrepreneurs in the twin cities lacked a formal marketplace.
Moreover, she said the initiative reflects a positive shift in how public institutions support women’s economic participation.
Meanwhile, Naima Ansari said the G-11 market gives women a practical platform to move from home-based work and informal selling into structured commercial activity.
In addition, she said the State Bank of Pakistan and JazzCash strengthened the initiative by introducing a fully cashless system that promotes financial inclusion.
Both leaders also highlighted the wider challenges facing women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. They noted that only 1 percent of Pakistani women currently engage in entrepreneurship, compared to 21 percent of men. Furthermore, women-led businesses receive just 3.2 percent of SME loans.
Therefore, they described the market as an important example of cooperation between public institutions and the private sector to support women’s economic rights.
Samina Fazil added that IWCCI will continue working with government institutions to expand similar projects. She also urged chambers of commerce and municipal authorities across Punjab to replicate the G-11 model.
Similarly, Naima Ansari said the twin cities now have an opportunity to prove that women-led businesses can grow into sustainable enterprises when they receive the right infrastructure and institutional support.
