When governments speak of women’s empowerment, the conversation often remains confined to symbolism visibility without viability, participation without power. Punjab’s upcoming Women Entrepreneurial Punjab Expo (WEPX 2026), scheduled for January 8 and 9 in Lahore, offers an opportunity to test whether policy intent can translate into economic outcomes.
Organised by the Women Development Department, the expo brings together more than 600 women entrepreneurs from across the province, positioning women not as beneficiaries of development but as contributors to economic growth.
What sets WEPX apart from earlier women focused initiatives is the policy framework within which it is being organised. The expo operates under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s ‘Women First’ vision, which places women’s economic participation at the centre of Punjab’s development agenda. Since taking office, the chief minister has repeatedly stressed that sustainable growth cannot be achieved if half the population remains economically marginalised.
The significance of this framing lies not in rhetoric but in institutional alignment, ensuring that women centred initiatives are integrated into broader economic planning rather than treated as parallel or peripheral efforts.
Exhibitions, by themselves, rarely change economic structures. Too often, they serve as platforms for display without addressing the deeper barriers women entrepreneurs face, limited access to finance, restricted mobility, weak market linkages and exclusion from formal networks.
WEPX 2026 attempts to move beyond this limitation by positioning itself as a market access intervention. Free stalls, sector specific engagement, structured networking and founder led discussions are intended to connect women entrepreneurs directly with buyers, investors and policymakers. The emphasis is on commercial viability rather than visibility alone.
The context in which WEPX is taking place makes this approach particularly relevant. Pakistan continues to rank low on women’s labour force participation, with Punjab reflecting similar patterns despite its economic potential.
A large proportion of women operate micro or home based enterprises that contribute to household incomes but remain outside formal markets. Without deliberate interventions that address access to capital, skills and institutional support, these businesses rarely scale.
Platforms like WEPX can help bridge this gap, but only if they are embedded within sustained policy frameworks.
Parliamentary Secretary for Women Development Sadia Taimour’s articulation of WEPX as an extension of the Women First agenda underscores this shift in thinking. Her emphasis on facilitation over advocacy signals an important transition in policy approach.
Empowerment, in economic terms, is less about awareness and more about access to markets, finance, skills and networks. If WEPX succeeds in creating even a fraction of these linkages, it will represent progress beyond the performative empowerment that often characterises gender focused interventions.
Importantly, WEPX does not stand alone. It aligns with a broader set of initiatives under the Annual Development Programme 2025–26, including entrepreneurship promotion, vocational skills training, youth pitch competitions, digital reform and the establishment of Women Business Incubation Centres across major cities. This policy continuity matters.
Economic empowerment cannot be achieved through one off events; it requires sustained institutional support, coordination across departments and long-term investment in women’s economic agency.
Digitalisation efforts within the Women Development Department further signal an understanding that governance structures must evolve alongside empowerment initiatives. Data driven policymaking, transparency and improved service delivery are essential if women focused programmes are to move beyond slogans and deliver measurable outcomes.
Similarly, investments in digital skills and outreach reflect the changing nature of work and entrepreneurship, particularly for younger women entering the economy.
Yet, the success of WEPX 2026 will ultimately be measured not by attendance figures or media coverage, but by what follows. Do women entrepreneurs gain access to new markets? Are investment linkages sustained beyond the expo floor? Do policy insights gathered from participants inform future economic planning? Without follow through, even the most well designed platforms risk becoming episodic rather than transformative.
WEPX 2026 should therefore be seen as a test case not only of political vision, but of institutional capacity to convert intent into impact. Under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s Women First framework, the foundations for such a shift appear to be in place.
Whether these foundations result in lasting change will depend on continuity, accountability and the willingness to address structural barriers that extend well beyond exhibitions.
If WEPX succeeds in moving women led businesses closer to formal markets and sustained growth, it could signal a meaningful shift in how women’s economic participation is approached in Punjab. If it does not, it will still serve as a reminder that empowerment, to be real, must be economic and economics, in turn, must be inclusive.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
The writer is a public policy analyst and a PhD scholar, can be reached at uzmarubab200@gmail.com