WEPX 2026: From women-centred vision to economic outcomes |
When governments speak of women’s empowerment, the conversation often remains confined to symbolism visibility without viability, participation without power. Punjab’s upcoming Women Entrepreneurial Punjab Expo (WEPX 2026), scheduled for January 8 and 9 in Lahore, offers an opportunity to test whether policy intent can translate into economic outcomes.
Organised by the Women Development Department, the expo brings together more than 600 women entrepreneurs from across the province, positioning women not as beneficiaries of development but as contributors to economic growth.
What sets WEPX apart from earlier women focused initiatives is the policy framework within which it is being organised. The expo operates under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s ‘Women First’ vision, which places women’s economic participation at the centre of Punjab’s development agenda. Since taking office, the chief minister has repeatedly stressed that sustainable growth cannot be achieved if half the population remains economically marginalised.
The significance of this framing lies not in rhetoric but in institutional alignment, ensuring that women centred initiatives are integrated into broader economic planning rather than treated as parallel or peripheral efforts.
Exhibitions, by themselves, rarely change economic........