UN advocates use of mobile technology for women’s development

Islamabad : The private sector has an important role to play to address people's misconceptions about the use of mobile technology by women as well as to create public awareness of how Internet-enabled electronic handheld devices can help develop women and their families, said UN Women Pakistan country representative Sharmeela Rassool.

She was speaking during a special ceremony held to sign an agreement between her organisation and Pakistan’s leading digital operator and part of the VEON Group, for the introduction of digital and financial literacy programmes for women-led microbusinesses in underprivileged areas.

According to the organisers, under the initiative, by 2025, 10,000 women micro-entrepreneurs will also be provided free sims, internet data, calls and SMS bundles, and mobile apps wallets.

The idea behind this collaboration is to close the digital gender gap by providing women with skillsets to thrive in the fast-evolving digital economy.

Also, the phone company will be offering gender financing and micro-mobility solutions, awareness campaigns, upskill training, advocacy, and thought leadership programs to reduce gender-based violence including sexual harassment, and declassifying prejudicial gender roles that hinder women’s progress. The programs reflect the company’s commitment to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 5 – Gender Equality.

The organisers said though women made up half of the country’s population, unfortunately, their labour participation in the country was just 21 per cent.

They said those metrics were the focus of the collaboration and would be tackled through a customised curriculum to train and enable aspiring women entrepreneurs on digital skills and provide access to internet data and technology products to support their business endeavours.

CEO of the company Aamir Ibrahim highlighted the importance of building an inclusive society where women were empowered through digital and financial inclusion.

“Our collaboration with UN Women is a testament to our commitment to improving the lives and livelihood of women in Pakistan through technology. Providing women with tools and resources to improve their economic capabilities will unlock larger societal benefits, including poverty eradication, and reduce the digital gender divide resulting in economic growth,” he said.

Mr Aamir said the company is also the signatory to the global Women’s Empowerment Principles, a set of Principles offering guidance to businesses on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community.

He said as part of the GSMA’s Connected Women Commitment Initiative, the company had committed to increasing the proportion of women by eight percent in its mobile internet customer base by 2023.