ISLAMABAD: Thirteen women-led startups recently graduated from an incubator program offered by Pakistan’s largest digital microfinance bank, equipping them with skills, financial literacy and the tools to upscale their enterprises, Mobilink Bank said in a statement this week. 

International and local rights groups have spoken out against women being marginalized in conservative Pakistan, where they are often subjected to gender inequality, suffer from lack of work opportunities, face violence and sexual abuse. 

A graduation ceremony of Mobilink Bank’s ‘Women Inspirational Network (WIN) Incubator Program’ was held in Islamabad on Saturday, Mar. 8, on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The event was attended by key stakeholders, industry leaders, businesswomen, partner organizations and media representatives, Mobilink Bank said in a statement on Monday. 

“As a future-ready bank, we’re not just providing tools and opportunities but paving the way for lasting change,” Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, chief executive officer and president of Mobilink Bank, said in a statement. “When a woman rises, she lifts her family and community with her.”

Pakistani startup Ecobricks received the “Best Startup Award” and a prize of Rs1 million ($3,573), while Recycle Bin and EcoGrow were each awarded Rs500,000 ($1,786) as winners of the Innovation Challenge. 

“The awards recognized promising ideas and provided crucial financial support to fuel these businesses’ continued growth and success,” the bank said. “The bank also announced the launch of the program’s second cohort to continue nurturing a thriving ecosystem for women-led businesses.”

Pakistan’s foreign secretary Amna Baloch was the chief guest at the event. She described the incubator program as a “resounding success.”

“The stories of these women inspire hope and motivate others to take the reins of their lives into their own hands,” Baloch said in a statement.