Growth in digital financial services should be leveraged to bring women into the formal economy, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar.
Speaking at an event organised by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday, she mentioned that Ehsaas programme was a major initiative for women empowerment and digital inclusion.
Nishtar appreciated PTA’s proactive and inclusive approach towards digital connectivity.
Federal Secretary for IT and Telecom Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput stated that the government of Pakistan was taking elaborate steps to fulfill the vision of ‘Digital Pakistan’ for the citizens and it was focusing on enhancing connectivity in far-off areas.
“Female participation in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) is increasing and additional initiatives are being introduced to enhance inclusion of women in the technology sector,” he said.
PTA Chairman Amir Azeem Bajwa said that the authority was committed to ensure wider access of women and improve gender inclusion in ICT segment of Pakistan.
He said that actual change would be witnessed when all stakeholders synergise their actions toward the objective of bridging the digital gender divide.
On the occasion, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) collaborated with telecom operators and other stakeholders to reduce digital gender gap in Pakistan via initiatives related to accessibility, affordability and digital skills.
The event focused on gender inclusion in ICT field and facilitating the digital empowerment of women in Pakistan by enhancing collaboration with national and international companies.
Bajwa thanked UNESCO and GSMA for extending their support for the event.
Members of the PTA, CEOs of Jazz, Telenor and PTCL group along with representatives from CMPak (Zong), Ufone, Special Communication Organisation (SCO) and Huawei Pakistan alsoattended the event.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2022.
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