Federal IT Minister Highlights Women’s Role in Pakistan’s Digital Future at Girls in ICT Day Event
The Universal Service Fund (USF) held a special event to celebrate ICT Women’s International Day. The theme of the event was “Girls in ICT for Inclusive Digital Transformation.” The aim was to highlight the women’s role in Pakistan’s digital future and support their growth in the IT sector. A key highlight of the event was the upcoming “Smartphones for All” policy, which aims to provide smartphones and internet access to every household in Pakistan, with a strong focus on empowering women through digital tools.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, attended as the chief guest. In her speech, she praised the USF’s efforts to empower women through technology. She said USF is playing a key role in boosting the IT industry and creating opportunities for women across Pakistan.
Shaza Fatima shared key achievements of the USF. She said 161 projects have been completed. Over 4,400 mobile towers have been installed. More than 17,200 kilometers of optical fiber have been laid. These steps have brought digital services to 37 million people in the country.
Federal IT Minister Highlights Women’s Role in Pakistan’s Digital Future at Girls in ICT Day Event
She also said that the Prime Minister has approved a budget of PKR 23 billion for USF this year. This funding will help expand digital access in rural and remote areas.
The minister added that USF is helping women, startups, freelancers, and social media influencers. It is making sure they are not left behind in the digital age. She said women-led tech businesses are now gaining recognition on global platforms.
Shaza Fatima also spoke about other government initiatives. She said that during his time in office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave over 1.2 million laptops to students. This helped many young people gain access to digital learning.
She mentioned the upcoming “Smartphones for All” policy. This project is in its final stages. The goal is to provide internet and smartphones to every home. She said such tools are important for women’s education and digital skills.
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She also highlighted the success of the DG Skills Program. It has already provided online freelancing training to 4.5 million people. Many of them are now earning a living through digital work.
The minister stressed that the Ministry of IT fully supports women at every level. She said the goal is to create equal opportunities. But she also raised concern about the attitudes of society and men toward women. She said women are often discouraged from speaking about their problems. When they do, they are asked to stay home. She urged people to rethink such behaviours.
Shaza Fatima said there is no lack of talent in Pakistani women. The country is not progressing as it should because half of the population doesn’t have a fair environment.
USF CEO Chaudhry Mudassar Naveed also spoke at the event. He said that the new field and technical work have been completed. He announced that USF has issued tenders for 16 new projects in 20 districts across the four provinces.
Some senior officials from the Ministry of IT and Telecom, parliamentary members, women entrepreneurs, educators, and industry experts also attended the event. It was a celebration of progress and a call for more action toward digital inclusion for all.
However, the situation is quite the opposite in the country. When we are talking about providing internet access to every citizen, the country is facing the internet slowdown issue. Pakistan ranked among the lowest fixed and mobile broadband speeds in South Asia, which is a big shame for the country that is ready to launch 5G in the country. Before implementing such a policy, the government should first resolve the internet slowdown issue.
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