SMEDA, JICA start work on 5-year women support programme

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has commenced work on a five-year women support program

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2026) Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has commenced work on a five-year women support program.

The initiative titled “Project for Capacity Enhancement of Women Entrepreneurs in the Informal Economic Sector in Pakistan,” marks a significant milestone in SMEDA-JICA collaboration, according to SMEDA spokesman here Thursday.

SMEDA, in alignment with the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s economic development vision, is making strong endeavors to enable women-led enterprises to become an integral part of national economic growth by improving their digital literacy, financial support, market access and the export capabilities.

Statistics show that women constitute almost half of Pakistan’s population, yet their labor force participation remains low at 25.4 percent- with nearly 47 million women outside the workforce. Women-led businesses are also limited in scale, with most operating informally and employing fewer than five individuals.

A key feature of the initiative is the development and implementation of the Women Entrepreneurs Booster Package - a comprehensive support mechanism designed to accelerate business growth and build sustainable entrepreneurship among women in the informal economy, CEO SMEDA Ms. Nadia Jahangir Seth said adding that the project will be piloted in Lahore and Sialkot and target 2,000 women entrepreneurs and transgender entrepreneurs. It will prioritize high-potential sectors such as IT, services, textiles, sports goods and surgical instruments, she said.

She further said, through targeted interventions, SMEDA aims to reduce gender disparity, increase women’s participation in the economy and enable them to contribute to sustainable economic development.

It is notable that the said project is continuity of a SMEDA-JICA agreement signed by heads of both the organizations in mid last year, which determined the project's critical role in fostering inclusive economic development by addressing the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in Pakistan’s informal sector.