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Tracy
Tracy
Aug 11 2026
31As Sri Lanka advances its economic recovery and long-term development agenda, improving access to finance for women entrepreneurs remains critical to building a more inclusive economy. The publication of the first annual report on the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code marks an important milestone in strengthening financial access and broader support for women-owned and women-led enterprises.
Published by the Department of Development Finance of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the Annual Report 2025/2026 captures the first-year progress of the Code. Sri Lanka adopted the WE Finance Code nationally in March 2025 with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank, becoming the first country in South Asia to adopt the global initiative.
A key foundation of the Code is Sri Lanka’s first unified national definition for women-owned and women-led businesses. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka incorporated the definition and associated gender-disaggregated data-reporting requirements into a circular issued to financial institutions. Under the circular, financial institutions are required to collect and report gender-disaggregated data on their micro, small and medium-sized enterprise portfolios using the national definition. This provides a consistent basis for identifying women-owned and women-led enterprises, assessing financing gaps and developing solutions that respond more effectively to their needs.
The WE Finance Code brings together public institutions, regulators, financial institutions, development partners and ecosystem stakeholders to address the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs. Its priorities include increasing financing for women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, improving the data available for informed decision-making, expanding non-financial support and building a more enabling entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The need for such an initiative is underscored by the fact that women represent 34% of Sri Lanka’s economically active population. Women-led businesses operate across agriculture, manufacturing, exports, services, retail and small enterprise development. However, many continue to face challenges such as limited access to credit, lack of collateral, low digital adoption, limited market linkages and difficulties entering formal financial systems.
Speaking on the significance of the milestone, Zahra Cader, ESG, Government & Public Services Leader, Deloitte Sri Lanka and Maldives, said:
“The launch of the first annual report on the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code is an important step in moving from commitment to measurable action. It provides stakeholders with a stronger evidence base to understand women entrepreneurs’ needs and target support more effectively. Deloitte is pleased to have supported this initiative alongside the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Asian Development Bank.”
The first-year data show encouraging progress. According to the report, 13 signatory financial institutions serviced more than 965,000 MSME business credit customers, of whom over 200,000 were women-owned or women-led MSMEs. The report further records the approval of 36,087 business loans to women-owned or women-led MSMEs, amounting to approximately LKR 145.5 billion.
While women-owned or women-led MSMEs accounted for 30% of approved MSME business loans by number, they represented only 20% of the total approved loan value. This indicates a continuing need to improve the scale, accessibility and suitability of financing available to women entrepreneurs.
Beyond access to finance, the report recognises the importance of business planning, financial literacy, digital adoption, formalisation, market access and mentorship. It also introduces the Draft National Action Plan for Gender Inclusive Financing in Sri Lanka for May 2026 to May 2030, providing a longer-term roadmap to expand financing opportunities and strengthen the wider support ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.
The inaugural report reflects the collective efforts of government, financial institutions and development partners to translate the WE Finance Code into practice. Within this process, Deloitte supported implementation and operationalisation of the WE Finance Code in Sri Lanka, including formulation of the national definition, developing the framework for gender-disaggregated financial data reporting, and supporting efforts to bring together key public, private and financial sector stakeholders towards enhancing access to finance for women MSMEs.
Looking ahead, sustained collaboration across the public and private sectors will be essential to build on the progress achieved and create an environment in which women-owned and women-led businesses can access appropriate support, grow competitively and contribute more fully to Sri Lanka’s economic development.
