Pakistan’s economic future is being shaped not only by large corporations, but also by thousands of women leading home-based ventures, neighbourhood enterprises, digital start-ups, schools, farms, and skilled trades businesses that keep families employed and communities moving.
Yet many of these women had remained under-recognised, under-financed, and underrepresented in mainstream business conversations. That was the gap Kashf Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Awards 2026 (WEA 2026) set out to address.
Held in Lahore at Nishat Hotel, Kashf Foundation proudly hosted the Women Entrepreneurship Awards 2026 (WEA 2026) in in partnership with Jubilee Life Insurance and EFU Life. The event celebrated Kashf Foundation’s clients from across Pakistan who had transformed access to finance, training, and opportunity into thriving enterprises with measurable economic and social returns. More than an annual ceremony, the platform reflected a broader shift in how women-led businesses should be viewed, not as side stories in development, but as serious drivers of growth.
In her welcome note, Roshaneh Zafar, Founder and Managing Director, Kashf Foundation, stated, “Our experience confirms that when we remove the barriers to entry for women, we aren’t just funding individual ventures,” Zafar remarked. “We are activating the primary drivers of family stability and community transformation.”
In her keynote address, Sima Kamil, Former President & CEO of UBL and First Woman Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan said “Platforms like the WEA are critical because they provide the market with empirical proof,” Kamil stated. “They demonstrate that women-led businesses are not only competitive and bankable but are fundamental to Pakistan’s trajectory toward long-term economic resilience.”
The awards spotlighted entrepreneurs across multiple sectors and stages of business development, from emerging founders and digital innovators to community employers and women preserving heritage crafts. The range mattered. It demonstrated that enterprise leadership was not confined to one geography, one class or one industry.
The screenings were followed by a live panel discussion with filmmaker Anya Raza and Kashf clients; Naima Baji, who built a successful home nursery business, and Sadia Baji, who broke barriers as an electrician in a male-dominated profession. Their stories gave audiences direct insight into the barriers they faced, the breakthroughs they created, and the opportunities still needed for women-led businesses to scale.
Recognition platforms like WEA 2026 matter greatly because visibility influences capital flows, partnerships, customer trust and policy attention. When successful women-led enterprises are seen, they become harder to ignore and easier to back.
The programme concluded with awards across eight categories such as the Give to Gain Pioneer Award, Sustainability Champion Award, Heritage Craft Preservation Award, Community Catalyst Award, Emerging Change-Maker Award, Kashf School Sarmaya Award, Digital Innovator Award, and Young Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.
As the evening closed, the message was clear: women entrepreneurs are already building businesses, creating jobs, and driving progress across Pakistan. With greater access, visibility, and investment, their contribution to the country’s next phase of growth can be even more significant.
