Pakistan, ADB sign $350m loan deal to help expand women’s role in financial sector

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan signed a $350 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday to advance financial inclusion and economic empowerment for women under the “Women Inclusive Finance Sector Development Program (Subprogram-II)”. 

The agreement was signed by Sabina Qureshi, Additional Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division, and Dinesh Raj Shiwakoti, Head of ADB’s Project Administration Unit. The State Bank of Pakistan also signed a separate agreement for the Financial Intermediary Loan (FIL), according to a government press release. 

The programme is aimed at expanding women’s access to financial services, supporting female entrepreneurship, and promoting inclusive work environments in the financial sector. 

The new phase builds on earlier reforms and focuses on four areas: strengthening regulatory frameworks, improving access to finance, encouraging women-led businesses, and fostering gender-inclusive policies at financial institutions. 

The financing package includes a $300 million policy-based loan and a $50 million FIL. 

ADB said the initiative is part of broader efforts to support Pakistan’s economic resilience and gender equity through structural reforms in the financial sector. 

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