Dr. Beverley Barrett outlined a layered approach to empowering women that weaves education, governance, technology, and cultural change. She underscored that skills development, employment opportunities, and social inclusion are essential to expanding women's participation in the workforce. She identified three major challenges: the technology gap and limited digital literacy; governance constraints; and cultural barriers and entrenched social norms. While Pakistan has progressed toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, she noted that women's labour force participation remains around 25%, though it has improved since 1990, and female literacy sits around 50%, highlighting the ongoing need for investment in education and skills. Barrett highlighted the pivotal role of international institutions such as the World Bank, USAID, and the FCDO in supporting education, financial inclusion, and women's economic empowerment. She cited initiatives that support SMEs, innovation funds, grants, and risk guarantees, along with programs to improve digital payment infrastructure and financial access, addressing credit risk and information asymmetry. Concluding, she acknowledged meaningful progress but stressed that far more remains to be done. She also pointed out that the AI era presents a real opportunity to accelerate women's empowerment, noting that financial inclusion of women is closely linked to broader economic development.