Uzma Ashraf Barton is an expert in public financial management, domestic resource mobilization, and financial sector governance. Born in a small town in Pakistan with limited educational resources, she had to end formal schooling after the 8th grade, as the only high school for girls didn’t offer science subjects. She completed high school through homeschooling and, defying all odds, became the first woman in her family—and her entire district to join Pakistan’s prestigious civil service. This marked the beginning of her commitment to international development, revenue mobilization, and advancing equitable access through governance reforms.

With more than 18 years of experience, Uzma has designed, implemented, and evaluated governance programs for organizations such as the World Bank, U.S. Treasury’s Office of Technical Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. She is well-versed in tools such as political economy analysis, problem-driven iterative adaptation, and benchmarking assessments to support ministries of finance, revenue authorities, financial intelligence units, and donor agencies in enhancing compliance and fiscal transparency—all with the goal of improving local service delivery (including enabling education access for girls in underserved areas).

Uzma’s career in international development is deeply rooted in her personal journey and commitment to creating opportunities, driving development, and unlocking fiscal potential globally. She is a thought leader and serves on the Executive Committee of the ICGFM and as co-chair of the SID-US Development Finance Workgroup.

• Ph.D, international finance law, University of Hong Kong
• M.B.A., tax management, Institute of Business Administration, Karachi
• L.L.M., banking Law, University of London