FPCCI calls for women’s economic inclusion in decisions

LAHORE: President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Atif Ikram Sheikh, and Vice President Qurrat-ul-Ain, have said that Pakistan’s nearly 130 million women constituting 52 percent of the country’s population cannot be excluded from the national economic decision-making process.

Addressing a press conference at the launch of the Pakistan ‘Women Economic Charter 2035’ at the FPCCI regional office on Thursday, they stated that women in Pakistan are the nation’s largest economic force and an indispensable pillar of its human resource base. However, despite their critical contribution to the economy, meaningful consultation with women business leaders, women chambers of commerce, women industrialists, exporters, and representative organizations of businesswomen was largely absent during the formulation of the national budget. “We are not seeking special privileges or concessions, but demanding rightful representation,” they remarked.

Qurrat-ul-Ain highlighted the absence of an effective institutional mechanism to systematically incorporate women’s economic priorities into the budget-making process and broader economic policymaking framework.

She urged the Prime Minister and the federal finance minister to ensure the formal inclusion of women’s representative leadership in all future budget consultations, economic policy formulation, development planning, and economic reform initiatives.

Qurat-ul-Ain stressed that the principle of “no decision about women without the participation of women” must be adopted as a cornerstone of national policy. She maintained that economic decisions affecting women cannot be made effectively or equitably without their direct involvement and representation.

She further stated that the Pakistan Women Economic Charter 2035 is not merely a policy document but a comprehensive roadmap for Pakistan’s economic growth, competitiveness, export expansion, investment promotion, and long-term prosperity.

The FPCCI Vice President also proposed the establishment of a ‘National Women Economic Council’ under the patronage of the Prime Minister and comprising representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Planning Commission, State Bank of Pakistan, FPCCI, Women Chambers, and the private sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026