Canada-Kashf partnership promotes women’s economic, social inclusion in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD  –  High Commission of Canada (Is­lamabad) and Kashf Foundation Pakistan’s first specialised mi­crofinance institution marked the conclusion of a successful 10-year partnership to support the economic and social inclusion of women. With funding assistance from Global Affairs Canada, Kashf Foundation reached more than 1.6 million people across low-income communities in Pakistan, demonstrating that women’s economic opportunities improve when access to finance is com­bined with business skills, health education and support from fami­lies and communities.

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The partnership’s most recent project helped address systemic barriers faced by women micro-entrepreneurs, building their financial and business manage­ment skills. It provided a range of support to over 1.4 million wom­en, from basic financial literacy to structured financial education and business development train­ing. The project also supported household well-being, providing maternal and reproductive health training for women and men and family members. Public aware­ness and advocacy campaigns were delivered through theatre and television dramas on address­ing issues such as family planning, girls’ education, and cybercrime. These campaigns reached over 120 million viewers in Pakistan.

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Tarik Ali Khan, High Commis­sioner of Canada to Pakistan, said: “Economic empowerment and the social inclusion of women are es­sential for prosperity. Canada has been a proud supporter of Kashf Foundation’s efforts to create social awareness and economic opportunities for women across Pakistan.” A third-party impact assessment of the project tracked changes in financial inclusion, business performance and house­hold decision-making. Survey­ing 2,596 households across 14 districts, it showed that women who received a micro-loan along with financial management train­ing were able to increase their in­comes by 17% and improve their savings by 34%. Similarly, respon­dents who had received a loan and participated in the project’s busi­ness acceleration training earned 26% more than those who did not receive training. Over one-third of trained participants were able to decide where and how to save and 33% were now managing their businesses independently. Some 94.5% of surveyed clients report­ed greater inclusion of women in household decision-making, and 83.4% said their families were supportive of their businesses.

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