Aamir Ibrahim Applauds Pakistan’s Significant Digital Gender Gains

Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim has welcomed new data showing significant progress in bridging Pakistan’s digital gender divide, describing it as a turning point for the country’s inclusion agenda. His remarks came during the virtual launch of the GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025, where Pakistan was highlighted for making the most substantial year-on-year improvement among surveyed countries.

The report reveals that the gender gap in mobile internet usage in Pakistan narrowed from 38% in 2023 to 25% in 2024—its first notable decline in three years. Female adoption of mobile internet rose from 33% to 45%, driven largely by rural women, while an estimated 8 million women and 5 million men came online during the year.

“This is a transformational moment,” said Aamir Ibrahim. “We are not just seeing increased adoption—we’re witnessing the digital awakening of millions of women who are stepping into the digital economy, many for the first time.”

Ibrahim credited the shift to joint efforts by regulators, telecom operators, and advocacy initiatives, but also emphasized the need for deeper systemic change. “Public commitments matter. At Jazz, we made it our goal five years ago to have at least 30% of our customers be women by the end of 2025. We are not just making commitments—we’re backing them with intentionality and action,” he said.

Despite high awareness levels—86% of women surveyed know about mobile internet—barriers such as affordability, digital skills, and restrictive social norms persist. Notably, 35% of female mobile internet users in Pakistan borrow a smartphone to get online, compared to just 6% of men. This borrowing trend significantly limits both daily usage and the variety of digital services accessed.

“Ownership is critical,” Ibrahim stressed. “The data is clear—when women own their own internet-enabled phones, they use them more often and for more use cases. But in many parts of Pakistan, the smartphone is still viewed as a threat to social norms. We need solutions that work at the household level, not just at the individual level.”

Ibrahim called for greater innovation in affordability models, such as smartphone installment plans, and stronger community engagement strategies to dismantle misconceptions. “You can’t drive change unless you bring the father, the brother, and the husband into the conversation,” he noted. “A cookie-cutter approach won’t solve gender disparity—we need context-specific, locally driven solutions.”

The progress aligns with broader initiatives like the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy and industry-wide commitments under the GSMA Connected Women programme, with Jazz among the leading signatories.

“Inclusion is not optional,” Ibrahim concluded. “With 50% of our population still not fully engaged in the formal digital economy, Pakistan cannot afford to delay. A more equitable future depends on onboarding our women—and mobile technology is the fastest path forward.”