Nestlé-BISP Rural Women Sales Program

The Nestlé-BISP Rural Women Sales Program, launched in 2017, is a collaborative initiative between Nestlé Pakistan and the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).

The program aims to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural women, including BISP beneficiaries who receive quarterly stipends under the government’s unconditional cash transfer scheme. Its core objective is to economically empower women by providing them with an equitable platform to realize their potential. Though the program started just for BISP beneficiaries, interest and demand from other rural women resulted in the program expanding beyond just BISP beneficiaries. Through the program, Nestlé trains selected rural women in sales, basic business management, and record keeping, while offering them Nestlé products at preferential margins. These women operate as retailers or micro-distributors, running small shops, supplying nearby retailers, or conducting door-to-door sales. To date, 3,800 women across 31 districts have joined as Rural Sales Agents.

To further strengthen financial inclusion, Nestlé has partnered with Akhuwat Pakistan, the country’s largest interest-free microfinance institution. Under this partnership, PKR 4 million has been allocated as a revolving loan fund. So far, 371 Rural Sales Agents have availed PKR 10.8 million in microloans to expand their businesses. This collaboration has enhanced access to finance, enabling beneficiaries to scale their operations and improve their economic resilience.

The program’s impact has been transformative. The rural women report being able to support household expenses, send their children to school, and improve their overall living standards. This economic uplift has translated into broader social empowerment within their communities.