Islamabad, Jul 17 (IANS): Pakistani President Arif Alvi has said that his country has been making efforts to increase the workforce participation of women for the economic prosperity of Pakistan.

"Women make up nearly 50 per cent of the country's population and the provision of enabling conditions such as ensuring their safety and security at the workplace and providing quality education and skills to women is the priority of the government and society," the President added while interacting with a delegation of businesswomen in Islamabad.

Expressing his concerns over Pakistan's low rate of women workforce participation, Alvi said that the trend is "extremely alarming," underlining the need to encourage women's participation in the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

The government has been focusing on creating an enabling environment to ensure the participation and inclusion of women in economic, business, trade and industrial sectors on a fast-track basis, he added.

Alvi said that commercial banks in Pakistan are providing business loans to women under favourable and easy terms and conditions to help women entrepreneurs start their own businesses and improve upon the existing businesses.