PTA and A4AI Sign Agreement For Bridging Digital Gender Gap in Pakistan

Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Maj Gen Amir Azeem Bajwa (Retd) held meetings with the Director of ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) and Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona.

The chairman also signed a cooperation agreement with Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), World Wide Web Foundation to address the digital gender gap in Pakistan.

The chairman briefed ITU Director Doreen Bogdan-Martin and Chairman (MCMC) about PTA’s efforts on the digital inclusion of women and girls in ICTs through a series of agreements with national and international stakeholders.

During the PTA chairman’s discussion with MCMC Chairman Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek, both sides discussed the challenges associated with regulation of the over-the-top (OTT) platforms in their respective countries.

Moreover, a cooperation agreement was signed by PTA chairman and A4AI Executive Director Sonia Jorge. Under this collaboration, PTA will be working towards bridging the digital divide in Pakistan by making use of A4AI’s policy and regulatory good practices and resources.

PTA and A4AI will conduct a series of gender-responsive workshops in Pakistan to promote awareness around gender mainstreaming in ICTs and enhance the understanding of key stakeholders to tackle the digital gender divide in Pakistan. This agreement will further strengthen PTA’s commitment to make women an integral part of the digital transformation process in Pakistan.