Gates Foundation Wants to Financially Support 6 Lac Pakistani Women And Kids
The Gates Foundation plans to reach around 170,000 women and 450,000 children in Pakistan this year through a program combining cash support, nutrition assistance, livelihoods training and access to citizen facilitation centers.
The plan was discussed during a meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and a high-level Gates Foundation delegation led by Dr. Anita Zaidi, President of the Gender Equality Division, at the Finance Division.
The foundation said its engagement in Pakistan is expanding across human capital, child health, nutrition, maternal health and women’s economic participation.
The South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa program combines cash transfers, nutrition support, livelihoods training and access to citizen facilitation centers for women. It is expected to reach around 170,000 women and 450,000 children this year.
The foundation also highlighted nationwide nutrition efforts through UNICEF’s “Livelihood 2.0” facility, which aims to improve access to nutrition commodities and address childhood stunting.
Dr. Zaidi also briefed the minister on the foundation’s maternal health initiatives and the use of artificial intelligence to improve health outcomes. The LUMS AI Hub is working with provincial governments on personalized solutions for women and families during pregnancy and delivery.
The foundation is also exploring AI tools that can work in low-connectivity areas and on basic Android devices, including solutions with local-language capabilities.
The meeting also covered population growth and its impact on maternal and child health, nutrition, poverty and girls’ education.
Aurangzeb briefed the delegation on the National Population Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, and stressed the need for stronger federal-provincial coordination, women’s education and empowerment, higher workforce participation and birth spacing.
The finance minister also discussed the government’s economic reform agenda, including privatization, expenditure reforms, rightsizing and greater use of digital technology to improve government efficiency.
He highlighted efforts to expand access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture and other underserved sectors through digital financial channels, improved data sharing and cash-flow-based lending.
The Gates Foundation expressed interest in supporting greater access to finance for SMEs by improving information flows, digital footprints and cash-flow-based lending.
The two sides also discussed agriculture, the digital economy and private-sector investment. Aurangzeb highlighted growing interest in private equity and government efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s private equity ecosystem and attract long-term domestic and international investment.
Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in human capital, health, financial inclusion and digital innovation.
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