ISLAMABAD: The Special Committee on Gender Equality held a detailed session to review statistics presented by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) regarding women’s ownership of mobile phones and bank accounts across the country.

According to PBS data, the number of women owning mobile phones and bank accounts in Pakistan has shown a steady increase, reflecting gradual progress toward financial and digital inclusion.

In terms of mobile ownership, 42% of women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa own mobile phones — the highest among all provinces. Punjab follows with 37.1%, Sindh with 34.7%, while Balochistan records the lowest rate at 21%. Overall, 36.5% of women across Pakistan now own a mobile phone.

The committee also discussed the agenda related to women’s ownership of property and the broader implications for gender equality and empowerment.

Presenting further insights, PBS officials informed the committee that women’s ownership of bank accounts has also increased nationwide. Sindh leads with 9.9%, followed by Punjab at 9.2%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 5.2%, and Balochistan at 3.9%.

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Officials emphasized that while the data indicates progress, significant efforts are still needed to enhance women’s financial access, especially in underdeveloped regions.

The committee appreciated PBS for compiling comprehensive gender-based statistics and stressed the importance of regular data collection to support evidence-based policymaking on women’s empowerment in Pakistan.