Islamabad: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) recently held a high-level meeting at the UN Women Country Office in Islamabad to review and enhance coordination on the Digitalization for Women Economic Empowerment (D4WEE) Project. This four-year initiative, funded by KOICA, aims to advance digital inclusion for women in Pakistan. The meeting was attended by key government and private sector stakeholders who evaluated ongoing efforts to ensure effective delivery of the programme objectives.

According to Press Information Department, Federal Minister IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, underscored the Steering Committee’s role in integrating project outcomes into institutional strategies and ensuring sustainability beyond project cycles. The Minister highlighted Pakistan’s progress in digital inclusion, noting a reduction in the gender mobile internet usage gap and the creation of digital wallets by women through the Ramzan digital payments initiative. The government has also provided free SIMs to underserved women to expand access to digital services.

The Minister emphasized the importance of integrating women into Pakistan’s digital economy to formalize the informal sector, which represents a significant portion of the GDP. She stressed the need for strategic preparation for emerging technologies to ensure equitable opportunities. The meeting concluded with a commitment to enhance collaboration and accelerate programme implementation, with a focus on embedding digital inclusion into core strategies to ensure women’s central role in the digital economy.