The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has directed commercial banks to increase women's share of their workforce from the current 17 percent to 22 percent by December 2028.
Under its Banking on Equality Policy 2026, the central bank has asked banks to prepare action plans with clear timelines to recruit more women and improve their representation across branches and offices.
Banks have also been instructed to prioritise posting female employees at branches and in cities of their choice, wherever possible, to address mobility challenges and help women remain in the workforce.
SBP has directed banks to introduce merit-based promotion policies to move more women into management positions.
They will also be required to establish mentorship, coaching and training programs to support the career development of junior female employees.
The regulator has further asked banks to appoint more women as financing officers, particularly in microfinance, agriculture, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), housing and sustainable finance.
The move is aimed at improving access to financial services for female borrowers. Banks must also ensure compliance with workplace harassment laws and provide maternity, miscarriage and iddat leave under applicable regulations.
The directives also include daycare facilities or allowances to support working mothers.
Female Bank Employees Reach Nearly 50,000 According to SBP data, women's representation in the banking workforce increased from 13 percent in 2021 to 17 percent in 2025.
The number of female employees has reached nearly 50,000, with around 17,500 women joining the sector over the last four years. Despite the increase, women remain underrepresented in senior management and decision-making positions.
The SBP has identified employee retention, mobility restrictions, limited workplace facilities and long working hours as major challenges. The central bank has also reported progress in women's financial inclusion.
Women now hold more than 78 million bank accounts, including over 45 million active accounts. Active accounts held by women have increased by 116 percent compared with the 2021 baseline.
Meanwhile, nearly 377,000 women in agriculture have received financing worth Rs. 105 billion, while around 2. 8 million women have obtained microcredit amounting to Rs. 152 billion.
The number of women-operated branchless banking agent outlets has also exceeded 23,000, representing a 114 percent increase from the 2021 baseline.
SBP introduced its Banking on Equality initiative in 2021 to reduce gender disparities in the financial sector and encourage banks to develop services tailored to women's needs.
The initiative has helped reduce the gender gap in financial inclusion from 39 percent in 2021 to 29 percent in 2025.
From an economic and commercial perspective, this development reflects dynamic market adjustments and regulatory coordination across Pakistan's financial and trade landscape.
Economic authorities, corporate oversight agencies, and market regulators maintain dedicated monitoring to stabilize commodity metrics, support corporate governance, and sustain investor confidence.
Strategic alignment between public fiscal measures and private sector initiatives remains central to boosting domestic industrial productivity and foreign exchange stability.
Financial analysts and market observers point out that transparent trading practices, formalized accounting frameworks, and reliable supply chains are essential components of long-term economic resilience.
Institutional investors and enterprise leaders are focusing on operational efficiency, digital financial technologies, and export diversification to navigate shifting macroeconomic conditions and global market pressures.
Business enterprises, institutional traders, and general consumers are advised to consult official regulatory notifications, verified market benchmarks, and authorized financial disclosures before finalizing major commercial decisions.
Official gazettes, state regulatory web portals, and certified commodity exchange records provide authentic references for transparent and compliant transactions.