Mobilink Bank has been named the winner of the Community Engagement and Partnerships Award at the United Nations Women Asia Pacific Women Empowerment Principles Awards 2026, marking a notable recognition for the institution and for the wider push to expand economic opportunities for women in Pakistan. The bank received the honour for its initiative titled Banking on Her, which was presented as a partnership ecosystem designed to advance the economic empowerment of women through meaningful collaboration and financial inclusion.
The award recognises the bank for its efforts to create greater opportunities for women by working closely with organisations across development, finance, legal assistance and social protection. According to the bank, the initiative was built on the belief that lasting progress for women depends on sustained partnerships rather than isolated programmes. By bringing together a diverse group of institutions, Mobilink Bank sought to reach women who have traditionally remained outside the formal financial system and to give them the knowledge, tools and support needed to participate more fully in economic life.
The results reported under the initiative are considerable in scale. Mobilink Bank stated that 31,000 women have been trained in financial literacy, equipping them with practical understanding of how to manage money, save and access financial services. In addition, 1.8 million women have been moved to digital social protection payments, a shift that brings regular transfers into the formal financial system. The initiative has also trained more than 2,000 female farmers in climate smart agriculture and has reached over 1,100 girls through education initiatives, reflecting a broad approach that spans financial capability, rural livelihoods and learning opportunities for younger women.
The partnerships behind Banking on Her involve a wide range of national and international organisations. Mobilink Bank worked with CARE Pakistan, CARE International, Mastercard, Karandaaz Pakistan, Human Development Foundation, The Legal Aid Society, Depilex Smileagain Foundation and the Benazir Income Support Programme. Each collaborator contributed to a different part of the effort, which the bank says has supported women entrepreneurs, farmers and underserved communities while also advocating for the economic rights of women.
The recognition at the United Nations Women Asia Pacific Women Empowerment Principles Awards 2026 places the work of Mobilink Bank within a regional conversation about how private sector institutions can contribute to gender equality and inclusive growth. In announcing the achievement, the bank described it as another proud moment and as a win for women, noting that its partnerships are helping women build better futures. The award stands as an acknowledgement of the role that financial institutions, working alongside development partners and public programmes, can play in widening access to finance and opportunity for women across the country.
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