ISLAMABAD:Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Maj. General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) on Tuesday said that PTA was committed to ensuring access to all and improving gender inclusion in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Pakistan.
“Change is possible when all stakeholders synergize their actions toward the objective of bridging the digital gender divide,” he said while addressing an event,“ Connected Pakistan: Accelerating Gender Inclusion in ICTs, Shaping Digital Futures”.
The event focused on gender inclusion in ICTs and facilitating the digital empowerment of women in Pakistan through collaboration with national and international companies.
He thanked the ITU, UNESCO, and GSMA for extending their support as well as national partners such as CMOS and Huawei Pakistan.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has collaborated with Telecom operators and other stakeholders to reduce the digital gender gap in Pakistan via initiatives related to accessibility, affordability, and digital skills.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. SaniaNishtar also attended the event.
Parliamentarians, Federal Secretary for IT & Telecom, Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput; Chairman, Members of the Authority, CEOs of Jazz, Telenor, and PTCL group along with representatives from CMPak (Zong), Ufone, Special Communication Organization (SCO), Huawei Pakistan, members from international organizations and civil society attended the event.
Speaking at the event, Dr. SaniaNishtar appreciated PTA’s proactive and inclusive approach towards digital connectivity. She said that growth in digital financial services should be leveraged to bring women into the formal economy.
She mentioned that ‘Ehsaas’ programme was a major initiative for women empowerment and digital inclusion.
Federal Secretary for IT and Telecom said that the government was taking elaborate steps to realize the Digital Pakistan vision for the people of Pakistan with a focus on far-off areas to enhance connectivity.
He said that female participation in ICTs was increasing and further initiatives were being undertaken to include women in the tech sector.
The event also included special video messages from ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, UNESCO, and GSMA.
The UNESCO announced its collaboration with PTA on developing a digital inclusion strategy and gender parity in access to ICTs.
GSMA’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT) in Urdu language will teach people the basic skills they need to access and use mobile internet. The event also included keynote presentations from CMOS.