Gone are the days when men were leading in every field of life. Nowadays, women are giving them tough competition. In the modern age of digitalisation, there is a growing trend of online businesses. Many youngsters are building careers in freelancing, graphic designing, selling different products, etc.
Women in rural or semi-urban areas often face difficulties regarding going outside owing to traditional barriers. Digital work has helped them a lot in gaining financial independence despite all the challenges. By developing digital skills, now they earn while sitting at their homes using a mobile phone. They are developing skills at a faster rate than their male counterparts because men tend to seek traditional jobs. The government is also trying to facilitate women in this regard.
In March 2025, Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication Shiza Fatima announced that in partnership with UNESCO Pakistan, the ministry has introduced the Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy, aimed at removing the barriers that limit women’s access to technology.
The Punjab government, through the Women Development Program, is also offering free online digital skills development programmes for women to empower them and make them independent. According to GSMA, the number of women mobile internet users in Pakistan in 2024 was 45%, with a gap of 25% with men, but this gap had been narrowed from 38% as compared to 2023. Nearly 8 million women gained mobile internet access in 2024.
All of this is not without challenges. Women have limited access to the internet and devices. Moreover, they also suffer from digital harassment when they use online platforms. But they have not let these obstacles stop them on their way. They continue to make an impact in technology. Many women create aesthetic products at home and sell them using online platforms. There is also a growing trend of online teaching. Women are using the internet to gain empowerment and are now financially contributing, which is reducing poverty.
The progress in the digital field can make our country economically stable, as now is the age of information technology. In rural or semi-urban areas it was hard to think about women earning for themselves and becoming financially independent, but now women are proving themselves on digital fronts. Their families are also encouraging them to develop digital skills. It is a quiet revolution breaking the stereotypes and traditions. So, women, if they have few, not more, basic necessities, they can do wonders. Women have the potential to lead at every front.