Issue 16:Celebrating International Women’s Month: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality
In the year 2023, the United Nations is recognizing and celebrating the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education. Bringing women and other marginalized groups into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality. It has been reported by UN Women in 2022 that women’s exclusion from the digital world has resulted in a loss of $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade—a loss that will grow to $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action.
Gender equity has been a long-standing challenge in Pakistan, with women and girls facing significant social, cultural, and economic barriers that limit their opportunities and hinder their progress. In Pakistan, patriarchal values and norms are deeply entrenched, and gender roles are highly segregated. The government of Pakistan has taken steps to promote gender equity, including implementing laws and policies aimed at protecting women's rights and increasing their participation in politics and decision-making processes. Civil society organizations and NGOs have also played a critical role in promoting gender equity in Pakistan. Despite these positive developments, there is still a long way to go in the fight for gender equity in Pakistan.
This issue of She Matters is a special issue on the theme “Celebrating International Women’s Month: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”. This issue includes interview of a special guest Ms. Naima Ansari, Spokesperson and Former President of Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This issue also includes introduction of our two new ventures for promoting gender equity and women economic empowerment. Moreover, the issue also acknowledges the remarkable women entrepreneurs of the country. I would like to acknowledge that launching this issue would not have been possible without the great and much appreciated contributions from the editorial and technical team. The robust intellectual support and well time contribution of content writers deserve special appreciatory applause. Our team expects similar sort of sincere dedication from the writers in near future. Enjoy reading the issue!