Islamabad, The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan, in collaboration with the British High Commission, has announced a special event titled “Cultivating a Safe Digital Environment – Challenges and Opportunities for Women in the Digital Age,” in honor of International Women’s Day 2024. The event is scheduled to take place at the Marriott Hotel Islamabad on March 7, 2024, aiming to explore the evolving dynamics of gender equality in the digital era and the implications for women’s empowerment and safety online.
According to United Nations Development Programme, the gathering will feature keynote speeches and panel discussions with distinguished speakers such as Andrew Bowden, Senior Governance Advisor and Head of Open Societies at the British High Commission, and Tania Aidrus, Co-Founder and CEO of D Global and former Head of the Digital Pakistan Initiative. The event will also include recorded remarks from Samuel Rizk, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan, and Jane Marriott, UK High Commissioner to Pakistan.
Key topics of discussion will encompass the increasing role of women in political participation, particularly with the upcoming 2024 elections in view, strategies to combat online harassment and misinformation campaigns against women journalists and civil society, and digital solutions to advance women’s rights in Pakistan. The initiative underscores the dual nature of the digital world as a domain of vast opportunities for women’s advancement as well as significant risks, such as cyber harassment.
The event aims to foster dialogue among a wide array of stakeholders, including representatives from foreign missions, senior development and government officials, and civil society activists, to promote collaborative efforts towards creating a more secure and inclusive digital environment for women in Pakistan.
Media representatives attending the event will have the opportunity to cover the discussions, conduct interviews with key speakers and panelists, and participate in dialogues aimed at enhancing digital safety and empowerment for women. This event represents a critical step towards addressing the multifaceted challenges women face online and leveraging digital transformation as a tool for gender equality and empowerment.