Islamabad : The Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) has welcomed the opening of Islamabad’s first dedicated marketplace for women entrepreneurs in G-11, crediting the Capital Development Authority, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, the State Bank of Pakistan and JazzCash for their support.
IWCCI leaders described the initiative as a milestone for women-led businesses in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and adjoining areas, saying it provides a formal commercial space long denied to women entrepreneurs.
Speaking at the launch, IWCCI Founder President Samina Fazil said the Women Enterprise Market became possible due to the institutional commitment of CDA Chairman Lt Gen (r) Sohail Ashraf and MCI Director Dr Anam Fatima, who facilitated the allocation of dedicated space. She added that the project reflected a shift in how public institutions approach women’s economic participation and empowerment.
Former FPCCI Vice President Naima Ansari said the market offered women a practical platform to move from informal vending and home-based work into structured, visible businesses. She noted that the State Bank and JazzCash had strengthened the initiative by embedding financial inclusion through a fully cashless operating model.
Both leaders stressed the market’s significance against Pakistan’s low female entrepreneurship rates. Only 1% of Pakistani women are engaged in entrepreneurship, compared to 21% of men, while women-led businesses receive just 3.2% of SME loans, they said. They called the G-11 market a rare example of public-private collaboration to advance women’s economic rights and sustainable business opportunities.
Ms Fazil said IWCCI would continue working with public institutions to expand similar projects and urged chambers of commerce and municipal authorities across Punjab to replicate the model. Ms Ansari added that the twin cities now had a chance to show that women-led enterprises, when backed by proper infrastructure and institutional support, could grow into sustainable businesses and contribute meaningfully to the formal economy.
