BARRIERS TO FINANCIAL INCLUSION FOR WOMENENTREPRENEURS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The present study aimed to find out barriers to financial inclusion for
women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The sample of the study consisted of 200
i.e. females (100) and males (100) with the age range 25 to 35 from SMEs,
especially female-led businesses. Lahore was selected to collect data
through convenience and snowball sampling utilizing a qualitative research
method. The study hypothesized that Gender has a strong link with access
to financial services for business owners in Pakistan. Data was analyzed
using SPSS and all reliability analyses showed that it has good reliability.
The study reveals significant barriers and opportunities for enhancing
financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs in Lahore. Trust and
satisfaction levels with financial institutions are key areas requiring
improvement, alongside addressing limited awareness and engagement
with government schemes. The present study is useful for policy initiatives
meant to improve financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs in Lahore.
Policies meant to close the trust gap and satisfy dissatisfaction with
financial institutions should focus on improving accessibility, service
quality, and customer support targeted to women's needs.