Businesses and leaders driving gender equality and women's economic empowerment across Pakistan were recognised at the 2026 Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards, with 17 winner and runner-up honours announced across seven categories. Selected from 52 applicants nationwide, this year's recipients represent a diverse range of organisations, from major corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), demonstrating the growing role of the private sector in advancing inclusive workplaces, strengthening women's economic participation and promoting gender-responsive business practices. Organised by UN Women Pakistan in partnership with Derien and Soorty, the biennial awards celebrate businesses translating commitments to gender equality into practical initiatives across their workplaces, marketplaces and communities. Addressing the award ceremony, Jamshed M Kazi, UN Women Pakistan Country Representative, said the true measure of business success lay not only in what companies produced but also in the lives they transformed and the opportunities they created. "When women can lead without barriers, work with dignity, access markets on equal terms and shape the decisions that affect their lives, businesses do more than advance gender equality—they help redefine the economy itself," he said. He added that the Pakistan WEPs Awards recognised organisations turning this vision into practice while challenging the wider business community to move beyond commitments on paper towards meaningful change in women's everyday lives. Chief Guest Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Local Government, underscored the importance of women's economic participation.