Reiterating their commitment to accelerate digital inclusion in the country, Jazz and UNDP Pakistan organized a ‘Girls in ICT’ event highlighting the importance of digital skills for women and promoting Digital Gender Inclusion through enhanced access to ICTs (Information and Communications Technology). According to the GSM Association (GSMA) there exists a significant digital gender gap in Pakistan where approximately 38% of women are less likely than men to own a smartphone and 49% do not use mobile internet. Furthermore, there are drastic differences in levels of ICT access between different population groups, particularly the rural and marginalised women and girls.
Advertisement:
Considering this prevailing scenario, the event included a panel discussion on ‘How to enhance Digital Literacy amongst school-going girls?’ with chief guest SAPM on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Additional Secretary of Ministry of IT & Telecommunications Ayesha Moriani, Director Communications and Sustainability at Jazz, Fatima Akhtar, and Founder of AGAHI and Lecturer at NUST Puruesh Chaudhary, in participation. Ideas were exchanged on multi-level solutions towards ensuring safe and meaningful access to digital technology and ICTs for girls.
Speaking at the event, SAPM on Youth Affairs reiterated the commitment of the incumbent government on quality girl education, health, and financial inclusion. SAPM said that the Prime Minister’s Youth Program is ensuring gender parity to ensure maximum engagement of young girls through our hi-tech skills trainings, business loans and gender quotas in the laptop scheme. “Access, affordability, and lack of literacy remains a core impediment for women’s inclusion in ICT. To further our vision for an inclusive and digital Pakistan, there is an immediate need to facilitate women participation in technology through public and private cooperation,” said Shaza Fatima Khawaja, SAPM Youth Affairs.
Advertisement:
Advertisement:
Numerous students at the event participated in a group activity to brainstorm ideas on promoting inclusion of girls and women in the ICT space. These ideas were then presented to the audience and panel. Aziza Soleh, Founder of the startup MountainShop, a part of Jazz and UNDP’s recently concluded SDG Bootcamp, took to the stage to share her entrepreneurial journey as well.
Advertisement:
UNDP Pakistan’s Youth Empowerment Programme has been working towards the economic empowerment of Pakistani youth with a particular focus on women and minorities. Some of the initiatives relevant to promoting women in ICT include digiskills training to over 2,000 young girls from KP; supporting the world’s largest annual start-up competition for women and technology, She-Loves-Tech, which has supported over 130 women-led tech startups over the past three years; and supporting Sehat Kahani in training 500 female doctors and 500 nurses and healthcare staff in digital health service delivery.