Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday Pakistan recorded the world’s biggest reduction in the gender digital divide in 2024-25, with eight million more women gaining access to mobile Internet.
The announcement came on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, observed annually on May 17 to promote the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
The day was institutionalized in 1969 to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on this day in 1865.
Pakistan has been striving to advance gender equality in digital access to serve its broader economic goals, particularly as it seeks to attract foreign investment in its IT sector.
“Pakistan has made remarkable progress in narrowing the gender digital divide,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.
“In 2024-2025, 8 million more women gained mobile Internet access, reducing the gender gap from 38 percent to 25 percent- the highest improvement globally, led by rural women,” he added.
The prime minister highlighted that Pakistan’s digital transformation includes surpassing 200 million telecom subscriptions, 150 million broadband users and two million fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections.
Additionally, mobile manufacturing has grown by 47.46 percent, and international connectivity has been enhanced through high-capacity submarine cables.
The prime minister noted the mobile ecosystem was now contributing $16.7 billion to Pakistan’s economy.
He said the government was committed to fostering a digital environment that promotes inclusion and empowers women through targeted policies, skills development programs and gender-sensitive digital infrastructure.
Sharif also called on all stakeholders to champion gender-responsive digital transformation and continue building an inclusive and empowered digital Pakistan.