Celebrating Women’s Economic Leadership: The Successful Conclusion of the WELD Program; A Joint Initiative of UNDP & KSBL
The Women’s Economic and Financial Leadership Development (WELD) program has successfully concluded, empowering 55 women leaders from across Pakistan. This transformative initiative, a partnership between KSBL and UNDP Pakistan, focused on equipping women with the skills and confidence needed to drive systemic change in economic and financial sectors.
Held at KSBL’s campus in August 2025, the program brought together accomplished women from diverse backgrounds, including public, private, and non-profit sectors. Over three days of interactive learning, participants engaged in hands-on modules that covered everything from macroeconomics to leadership transformation. The focus was not only on strengthening technical skills but also on cultivating value-based leadership, grounded in empathy, trust, and collaboration.
The WELD program was designed based on extensive research, which revealed the barriers women face in leadership roles. This insight informed the curriculum, ensuring that the content was directly relevant to overcoming challenges such as limited mentorship, structural biases, and the lack of gender-responsive leadership frameworks.
A Diverse Group of Women Leaders
The program welcomed participants from Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ensuring broad representation from all provinces. The participants came from sectors like finance, energy, technology, and non-profit management, adding rich diversity to the learning experience.
By combining KSBL’s academic rigor with UNDP’s development expertise, the WELD program has set the stage for a more inclusive leadership culture in Pakistan, where women can take on more influential roles in policy and decision-making.
Strengthening Skills and Building Networks
During the workshop, participants were challenged to apply their learning through real-world case studies, group simulations, and peer exchanges. These activities helped to foster new connections and ideas, while simultaneously building a nationwide network of empowered women leaders. The national alumni network established during the program will continue to encourage collaboration and professional development for years to come.
Looking to the Future
With the WELD program now concluded, KSBL and UNDP are committed to scaling its impact. Future plans include post-program coaching, peer mentoring, and engagement sessions, as well as expanding the model to provincial government training academies and private sector partnerships.
The success of WELD is a powerful reminder that empowering women is not just about enhancing individual capacity; it’s about reshaping the leadership culture to be more inclusive, competent, and values centered. This initiative represents a step forward in creating a more equitable and empowered Pakistan, where women can lead the charge in economic and financial governance.