Commerce Desk
Karachi :The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and Iqra University’s Center for Excellence in Islamic FinTech (IU-CEIF) have launched Empowered Women – Ethical Investments, a two-month practical investment competition for female students, faculty and staff of universities across Pakistan, aimed at promoting women’s participation in Shariah-compliant investing.
Speaking at the launch ceremony in Karachi, SECP Commissioner Imtiaz Haider said that financial awareness and informed investment decisions are essential to increasing women’s participation in the financial sector. Sheikh Ebrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairman of the AAOIFI Board of Trustees, attended the ceremony as Chief Guest, along with representatives of Islamic financial institutions.
Mr. Haider highlighted SECP’s initiatives to improve women’s access to finance, including the approval of Khudmukhtar Khatoon, Pakistan’s first digital financing product exclusively for women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and simplified account-opening procedures to facilitate women’s entry into the capital market.
Women already account for a significant share of borrowers in the non-bank finance sector. As of June 30, 2026, they represented 59 percent of active borrowers in the Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) sector and 82 percent in non-banking microfinance, which disbursed Rs. 236.2 billion to women during FY2025–26.
The initiative combines practical investment experience with financial education to help women develop investment skills and make informed, responsible financial decisions.
