Government Programmes in Pakistan - Micro-credit and Entrepreneurship

• Micro-credit schemes

The Ministry is working towards providing women access to micro-credit especially through channels such as:

a. Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF);

b. Rural Support Programmes (RSPs);

c. First Women Bank (FWB);

d. Agricultural Development Bank (ADB); and,

e. Khushali Bank.

Women in general, as well as female headed households, women bread winners, and women with disability are to be given particular priority in accessing credit from the First Women and the Khushali Banks and other financial institutions for setting up their business, for buying property and for house building.

• Economic revival strategy

The Pakistani Government introduced its strategy for economic revival in December 1999. Its fourth goal was identified as poverty reduction, which centres on: macroeconomic stabilization, improved governance, revival of economic growth, targeted interventions, social sector development and social safety nets. Under this strategy, the Government has promoted measures to reduce poverty amongst women and advance opportunities for women, which include, inter alia:

• Establishing the Khushali bank to provide micro-credits to poor households.
• Establishing a Khushal Pakistan Programme to create jobs and provide crucial infrastructure in rural and low-income areas.
• Setting up a pilot school feeding program for female students (Tawana Pakistan program), which was deemed successful in a few districts, and is thus to be replicated throughout the country. This programme helps address malnutrition of female students, which was resulting in low enrolment, high absenteeism and dropouts and low cognitive achievement.