Islamabad: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, marked Women’s Day by emphasizing the critical role of women in Pakistan’s digital transformation. She underlined the necessity of full gender inclusion for technological advancement and national progress.
According to Press Information Department, Minister Khawaja reaffirmed her ministry’s commitment to reducing the digital gender divide by empowering women through technology. Key initiatives like the Digital Pakistan Policy and ICT for Girls Program have been instrumental in providing technological access to women, particularly in underserved regions. These efforts have led to a reduction in the mobile internet awareness gender divide to 11% and a doubling of women’s mobile internet usage to 19%.
The Ministry is expanding its digital inclusion programs to enhance opportunities for women in education, skill-building, fintech, and telehealth. The establishment of Software Technology Parks across Pakistan, including in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with 65 IT setups, is creating an environment conducive to female entrepreneurship. Women currently make up 29% of Pakistan’s IT workforce and 20% of professionals in these parks.
National Incubation Centers have incubated 229 startups in the past year, with 30% being women-led. The centers mandate that at least 25% of their founders be women, supporting an inclusive startup ecosystem. The ministry aims to increase female representation in digital skills programs to 33% and plans to launch the Women Innovation and Startup Empowerment (WISE) Lab to support women-led startups and train micro-entrepreneurs annually.
In collaboration with UNESCO Pakistan, the ministry has introduced the Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy to eliminate barriers to women’s access to technology. Through policy reforms and initiatives in emerging fields such as AI, cloud computing, and data science, the Ministry of IT and Telecom aims to position women at the forefront of Pakistan’s digital progress.