WECON Advancing Equity and Opportunity for Women Entrepreneurs through ‘Masawaat’
Islamabad : — The Women Entrepreneurship Conference (WECON) 2025 convened today at the Pak-China Friendship Centre, co-hosted by Change Mechanics Pvt. Ltd. and the British Council. Now in its sixth edition, WECON continues to be a national platform for championing women’s economic empowerment.
This year’s theme, ‘Masawaat’—meaning equity—underscored a shared commitment to removing the systemic barriers that limit women’s participation in Pakistan’s entrepreneurship landscape.
WECON 2025 brought together leaders, policymakers, innovators, and practitioners from across Pakistan’s public and private sectors. Through collaborative dialogue and co-creation, participants reflected on how equitable systems can unlock the full potential of women entrepreneurs. The spirit of Masawaat shaped every conversation, reaffirming that sustainable progress relies on partnerships grounded in trust, opportunity, and inclusion.
Major institutions including the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan Single Window (PSW), GSMA, NAVTTC, Ignite, TiE Islamabad, Invest2Innovate, and UNDP contributed to discussions on strengthening a gender-responsive entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Additional support came from partners such as Karandaaz, Mobilink Bank, Fatima Jinnah Women’s University (FJWU), the All-Pakistan Women’s Universities Consortium (APWUC), Google Developer Groups Islamabad, Code for Pakistan, Innoventures Global, Jazz, Higher Education Commission (HEC), and others—demonstrating a united commitment to expanding economic opportunity for women across Pakistan.
James Hampson, Country Director, British Council Pakistan, said:
“We are proud to partner with WECON 2025. Equality and inclusion are at the heart of our work, so it makes sense to support efforts to unleash the entrepreneurial talent of Pakistan’s women. The British Council is on the side of greater inclusion and real equality.”
Sayyed Masud, founder of the WECON Movement, shared his sentiments on Masawaat today by recalling the 1979 pakistani feminist film, “Aurat Raj”. He invited the audience, ‘let’s ask the question that truly matters. Not, “how do we give space to women?” But, “Imagine if we continue this way. If we do not utilize the enormous potential, the emotional intelligence, the empathy, and the sheer intelligence of women, will we ever be able to build the better, fairer, more prosperous Pakistan we all dream of?”‘
The conference featured two insightful panel discussions exploring the difference between equity and equality, and how tailored pathways can enable women to pursue and sustain entrepreneurial careers. Policy roundtables shed light on gender-responsive reforms, including approaches to embedding equity in entrepreneurship policy and strategies for strengthening the connection between academia, industry, and the Technical/Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.
WECON 2025 also celebrated the creativity and resilience of women founders. Startup pitches from diverse sectors showcased the innovation emerging across Pakistan, while inspiring speaker sessions highlighted personal journeys of ambition, leadership, and perseverance. Participants also engaged in Learning Labs and Skill Clinics focusing on AI, branding, digital transformation, and leadership—skills essential for the future of work.
The conference concluded with remarks from Mr. Sayyed Ahmad Masud, Project Director at the National Incubation Centre Islamabad, who reflected on the conference, reaffirming the shared commitment to building an equitable entrepreneurship ecosystem for all.
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2022-23 we reached 600 million people.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
