The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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>> WAQAS HASSAN: Good afternoon, everybody. I'm Waqas Hassan.
This is about two things. One is digital gender priority, and we're going to relate it to responsible digital governance. If we see what is inequality between the resources, when men and women tried to access and use the Internet, they are good opportunities for both of them. Or the one more than the other. There's a gender gap. When we talk about responsibility for governance, there's policies and frameworks.
In fact, this ensures that we have applicative and inclusive. This discussion is focused on the normative countries. That's going to be the focus of the discussion today. Right now if you see, if you see it, look at a few numbers from ITU. There are 244 fewer women that are online than men. So this is a huge gap. As compared to 34% of men.
And at the same time, because of this inequality, there's a huge economic loss associated with it. According to estimates by ITU and others, the countries have almost lost $1 trillion just by not being able to place the decision they would like. It is not just a social issue or social empowerment it is an economic issue as well. We can add half a billion over the next five years.
With this concept in mind, we have the session. We have fantastic panelist with us. Who will speak about different areas in their expertise and introduce them later on. I've explained the session floor. There will be practice by Pakistan. That's Pakistan's digital gender inclusion strategy. We have Malahat Obaid who is the member of an all‑women team. She serves as a digital gender specialist for financial inclusion.
Once Malahat presents their strategy as a case study, we will move on and go towards the rest of the panelist. One of them is Onica who is the Executive Director at Global Digital Inclusion Partnership in the Digital Economy Fund.
After Onica, we'll hear from Cagatay Pekyorur. He's from Türkiye. We have the leading advocate of digital equality. We also have the network summit.
For this context and in mind, next start for the session. I would request Malahat to present and talk about digital gender inclusion strategy and what kind of opportunities and challenges where there and how they actually started this process and then made a strategy and is now implementation phase of the test strategy.
Malahat, I'll hand it over to you. If you could share your screen. I also need to unmute your microphone.
>> MALAHAT OBAID: Thank you. I'm happy to have the workshop on such a critical subject.
Without further ado, I have a short time to present the strategy. This is the floor of the presentation. I'll be giving you statistics and gender gaps that exist in Pakistan. The formulation of strategy and the collaborations that we have during the strategy and the methodology that we've adopted.
Then, the process that we followed out of which we came out with challenges and barriers that also the solutions to those barriers to overcome the inclusion issues that we have here in Pakistan. Where it is the end, I will be telling you about three year's action plan that has been set out in the gender inclusion strategy. The Working Groups that we've created and the impacts that they've been creating once the strategies is implemented and, of course, towards the end the achievements so far while we're implementing.
Just to tell you, Pakistan is the fifth most popular in the world. Mainly, the population has around 50% as female population. Of course, 191 ‑‑ almost 91% of the population has access to telecom services. Of course, the subscribers base stays at 196 million. The literacy rate, like any other Asian economies is low. But relatively it is low for Pakistan, because around 63%, one of the main reasons why digital gender inclusion is not kicking off really in Pakistan. The female ownership of SIM is quite low. We have 47 million SIMs that are on. These are the digital gender gaps that Pakistan is grappling with.
If you can see from 2003‑2024 we are improving. In relative terms. Pakistan is one term that has the lowest gender gaps in the use of technology. We have made good progress when it comes to awareness about Internet. When it comes to ownership and user for the Internet. Even in social media, we have 70 million social media user. But the gap is when we started off it was over 71%. Today it is 59% as it shows the craft. This is for you too. There's a different number when it comes to Instagram. It is very, you know, forthcoming that the gap in usage of instant brand is less. It is around 41%. So I believe that the younger generation, the younger females are losing Instagram. More frequently than the other ‑‑ the social media applications.
For branchless banking, we have reduced the gap to 54%. Today there are around 35 million mobile accounts that are being used by women and owned by women. Going to the digital agenda inclusion strategy, the gaps that I've just mentioned and then the ranking that were coming down from Afghanistan. Of that matter, inclusive digital index, Pakistan is not doing well. The government decided to address the issue with structured approach.
In this regard, they took the lead and started gender inclusion. We set up a committee. It started working in the month of February in 2022. Following the structured approach, we decided to go further. Strategy first. In this regard, UNESCO, one of the UN's main organisations gave us the technical support and, of course, the Ministry of IT and the GSMA. But they are there to support us in building up the strategy. The formal alliance for affordable Internet also came forward. Which in their share when we were developing the strategy. Our operators were there to help us out.
When this started off, the objective was to create a government platform based on the society approach with members from all stakeholders, identifying the challenges, policy interventions, and implement them across the sector or rather than all of the sectors for bringing the change and growth that's required for filling up all of the gaps that we've been talking about. This is the methodology that we adapted. Phase one was to identify the problem for which we did a very extensive concentration process.
Across the country in phase two, we did the problem analysis. The areas that there was a requirement to go further deep and see where the problem is lying and how can we address? We came up with the strategy pillars and how to implement it in the third phase. We set the targets and the goals and what would be the outcomes.
Of course, we came out with an action plan. It is tough. It is three year's action plan with specific dockets and clothes. We are hoping that we would be HR and able to manage it. The process that we followed as I've already explained was quite an extensive one. We did public perception survey and IVR survey.
Then we had multistakeholder workshops that we conducted across Pakistan. We did some expert interviews of the gender experts not only in Pakistan, but internationally as well to understand how to address the issues that have been, you know, coming up while we're doing through the concentration process. Of course, we did an online survey as well. Which was for all of the sectors, females, and even males to participate and, you know, come up with their point of view of, you know, addressing the digital gender gap in Pakistan. We tried to ‑‑ for the perceptions of the IVR survey. We tried specifically for perception survey. We tried to access those areas in Pakistan that do not have the connectivity. Those people can tell exactly the females where the problem is.
Of course, accessibility is one problem. Then there are social and economic problems that came up as well. The survey that we ran across Pakistan is one of the largest surveys for assessing the digital gaps or the digital inclusion state in Pakistan. It was around 100,000 sample size that we had. Then there were multiple questions that we ran through the IVR survey. There was done with the help of our licensees. The mobile operators to run the survey. This is the gender inclusion they do every year. We had their assistance and their contribution in the consultation process. Just to give you a couple of outcomes that we had from this service.
In the survey, we mainly asked women and men both if they have a mobile phone and have the same. If they have are they using it? And are they using the mobile or the Internet or not? The interesting fact that came out was that more women are using mobile than the ones who are owning it. Which means that there's an urge. There's a requirement by the women. They don't have the phone. They make use of the phones that the family has. They use it. But the good thing was those females who have the mobile or the method the same are actually making use of it and using the Internet.
This was a good thing that they were not only having the phone, but they were actually, meaningfully using it. The areas of the country which are connected. You saw they were using if they have Internet. They were more inclined to having better economic opportunities to help their family. They were out of the area where they are living. So with this consultative process, we came out with the barriers that they are currently facing. We realise we do not have the gender desegregated data. Whatever we have. It is not good enough for building up the case for gender divide. This was one of the major challenge but we feel offline. The local content was not there. It was for the women who were already on the Internet also felt the need for having the local content.
Affordability came out to be the reason for the gap. Women do not have the capacity to buy. Of course, there are family concerns and disapprovals which do not allow them to have them. Either the mobile or the same. Having the Internet package. Infrastructure and attack ability was one of the major issues. There are a number of areas in Pakistan. The terrain is difficult for the operators to go there and provide the service.
Then people, as I told you, people have negative perception about using Internet or having a mobile answer for their females. Then of this perception, they thought that safety is one of the major issues. While if ‑‑ while they allow their females or the girls to have mobile in their hand or using the Internet.
With this in mind, the three year's action plan which was rolled out in the strategy was on a bigger platform that we started with the Sterring Committee which is headed by the minister for IT and telecom in Pakistan. And the secretariat support is given by the PTA.
With this, we have identified the six areas of which we made Working Groups. One was affordability and accessibility which was covering the infrastructure requirements. And then there was security in how we can ensure that women should feel safe while they are online. Then we have to create the digital literacy. For those who are educated or who are literate, but still do not digital literacy. So we have identified this as a pillar, as a Working Group where we have to address this issue. Inclusion is one area where we need to, you know, change the perception of the general public and the messes that Internet can be used for. Better purposes for the economic and social well‑being of a female or a family member.
And, of course, we have this Working Group on research and data that will be very helpful. Of course, while we're doing the policy changes and setting the targets and goals for reducing the gender gap. All of these Working Groups are being led by the top government agencies in the country. Of course, according to the specific areas, between the Working Group and Sterring Committee is a Technical Advisory Committee. These are all of the organisations out there who are helping reduce the gender divide or digital divide across. They have the ability and capacity and capability to guide not only the Working Groups but also help the Sterring Committee identify and, you know, take the areas out where there's a possibility ‑‑ immediate possibility of improving the situation in the country.
With this, Working Groups and the Sterring Committee, we have kicked off the digital gender inclusion strategy in August 2024. Almost all of the working groups are live. They have started working. It was good to give them a chance to reassess, see if they can improve it, and start implementing in the areas.
With affordability in Pakistan, the Working Group and the impact that we are expecting is to have 25% more women in Pakistan who can now afford after this implementation and the projects that are going to go through the Working Groups. We will be able to. An increase this number. Particularly, we would expecting that by the end of three years, action plan. We will be having 20% more access to digital services and SIMs will be on the organizers.
Currently, as I told you, it is around 47 million women who have and own on their CNIC. We are expecting to be 20% more towards the end of next three years. Safety and security group is headed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and we are trying to have gender responsible ‑‑ gender responsive laws and legal frameworks that ensure that women are safe when they are online.
So the digital literacy group is headed by the Ministry of education and we expect that the 60% of adult women population will acquire digital skills with the implementation of this strategy. And certainly would want this strategy to play its role while we turn around the negative perception of cruise of technology through the strategy. And we are working with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and the Federal Commission which provides statistics for the county. We are also leading this Working Group and you know, in the process of devising what will assess the digital female's participation in the digital arena. With this we have since August and even before we were dividing the strategy.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Sorry to cut you off here. It's been three minutes.
>> MALAHAT OBAID: These are the organisations that we have partnered with for the digital scales. This is the reports that are going to come up and the awareness programmes that we are having. We are committed to the strategy implementation. All of the stakeholders approach. Thank you, over to you Waqas.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Thank you. Sorry for rushing you. The time isn't up. As you can see, the strategy developed by TVA is why is it presented as a case study? You can see the structured approach. You can see a clear plan of implementation.
If you have more questions about the strategy and if you want to develop anything else, you can ask during the Q & A. Or you can reach out to Dr. Faber.
With this, I will move quickly to Onica. Onica, in your experience working with the underserved communities and digital gender equality, what would you say are the key barriers and challenges in low to middle‑income countries.
>> ONICA MAKWAKWA: Thank you so much for the presentation. It is just really helps us, you know, see the picture at the national level when a country really commits to understanding the gender health divide and actually not just adopting policies, but commitment to implementing for change; right? A lot of these that I'm identifying I think you'll resonate very much with the presentation that we've just had. I'm going to base this on two particular publications.
One is the resilience that looks at gender experience of female through meaningful activity. The other one the time is now. Which is a policy impact report that we published through the WDEV initiative to really look at policy frameworks that are successful in closing the gaps of the divide. The biggest area and most of this is important. A lot of work that's been done by many organisations is the lack of access to affordability.
Having reliable infrastructure for women in rural areas is a major barrier that keeps them away from being able to enjoy digital services as part of the economy. I'm going to go through this fast. I know you don't have time. We want to have a little bit more discussion later on.
The second one, the key one, is social cultural barriers and gender norms. This really is no surprise for many of us. We have to continuously work on this on the digital side. They don't simply go away because we are working on technology. These are issues that exist within the society. In terms of restrictions on girls and women's mobility and also there's an impact on the ability to access the services such as public Wifi as an example. The lack of digital literacy and skills. The foundational skills really put women at a disadvantage in terms of being able to acquire the necessary opportunities that exist in digital technologies.
And the fourth one is: economic barriers. This one is not so much a lack of resources. It is the time. People are the ones that we expect to fulfill and pay care labour in most societies. It means, yes, they like the financial resources to buy the devices that are unaffordable. Also lack the time to dedicate guards the skills and trainings through the digitalisation of the tech nothings.
Lastly, maybe not lastly, I'll just mention two more. One more is the lack of legal and policy frameworks that are very explicit about closing the inequalities. You know, these things are not just happening on their own. We need to be intentional in making. Including safety online for women having laws and policies that are explicit about giving that protection.
Lastly, I want to elaborate on it. That's something that we had spoken a lot about. That's the lack of gender data gaps. You know, we know what we know now. We know it may be quite inadequate, because we are not collecting gender data to be able to really understand how deep the problem is and where the interventions are most needed. I will pause there for now. Thank you so much. Thank you for the opportunity.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Thank you, Onica. Thank you for identifying the barrier that is are most prevalent in the low to middle‑mechanic countries. I have a couple of things.
Now I'll move to the next speaker. What do you think? What are the ideal ways in which the community and industry and platform can help and overcome the barriers for the digital gender inclusion? And how can we influence positive governance practices on this issue?
>> CAGATAY PEKYORUR: Thank you, Waqas. I can try to answer the question by first talking.
In Meta, like how we are saying the problem and how we are trying to overcome it. I'm not sure if you can hear me appropriately. Then I may try to come up with a more appropriate answer to the question itself. We believe we should have access to the Internet provides. That's for sure. And we try to take him out and also multistakeholder approach in ensuring that our services are accessible and inclusive for a women through all of the platforms and products and policies.
If I can try to put it to the structure, they have a safe online environment. Of course, in the context of the panel. The next platforms enable the users. And the third bucket connected to the first one as well. There's an independent side of it too that I can explain. It is maintaining the inclusive stakeholder engagement in relation to the products and those are integrity‑related efforts.
When we're trying to understand the risks. That's what I mean. It reflects the characteristics of all genders. We believe we should be in consistent engagement with a woman and the representatives of other genders. Also when it comes to the risk understanding, our risk assessments, again those should be included off of the experiences of these user groups. And those include all three work. I would like to say that's our approach is most of the times requires us to work closely with the Civil Society Organisations. That's what I meant by the multistakeholder that we have.
Also in some instances, we are in partnership with the governments. I will try to keep it as brief as possible. I know we want to open for Q & A. Very briefly, it is creating safe, online environment. It is mostly related to the committee standards and policies like which government and which content that we allow and which content we don't allow on the platforms. We, of course, do have, like, policies that are specifically designed to protect high‑risk users and vulnerable groups including the woman.
Such as the hate speech and sexual exploitation of adults. They have elements that are specific design to protect women, such as like the revenge point or sextortion. We have a safety centre which is useful information for the people that may not feel safe or the platforms online. There's the specific safety hub that's focused on the safety too. On creating and supporting access to digital approach, a special committee for the low to mid‑income countries. I would like to mention the specific programme that we have. It is called the business. This programme is a training programme to empower the woman with the tools that enabled them to benefit digital economy in the more meaningful way for them. It goes beyond just like teaching about our own tools. It includes the information about business resilience, financial literacy, and cybersecurity. Because we are seeing these are actually required to create success.
And in Türkiye, we conducted with the government. It launched in 2013. Like the continent. We focused in Nigeria and Kenya for the programme. Again thousands of women in the centers have been trained.
Another example, like from the country in Saudi Arabia, the metaverse and the products that we have. We realise for the Türkiye region, we have activities. It is to make sure the main is ready with the technical capabilities for the upcoming technologies. It is beginning the partnership with the government and university here. I'm happy to say the significant majority of the parties are a woman in the programme. This was one of the goals for us as well. Also for the government. I can gather on the stakeholder approach and include the stakeholder approach. I want to be very mindful of the time for other panelist.
Just before closing, I want to say three more things very briefly. Because the question is like what is the ideal place. It is regulatory. But when I look at all of these projects that I was also involved in, I think we definitely benefit from official policy frameworks and action plans that prioritise this over the inclusion of women. They create an incentive for private companies to focus on these areas and come up with programme efforts. It is the private platforms. It helps us to, as I mentioned, develop a better understanding of the situation. It involves the single member society to have a deep influence on the project development and the projects that the companies do have.
And again in relation to Civil Society, I would like to recognise the advocacy efforts of these groups in keeping both platforms and the governments accountable. When we miss something. There's an area that you cause more investment or more government support. It is always Civil Society that's posted on the spotlight. Definitely plays a big role in keeping us accountable. I come up a better governance.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Thanks for sharing. She means business. It was launched in Afghanistan. One of the places that was implementing the programme has now been selected for as a winner of digital economy. So they are going to be funded. They are going to conduct the digital literacy across Pakistan. Which is great for the country, of course. Based on the gender digital gap. I'm going to come towards you and your experience now. Doing policy advocacy for that and being deeply connected with those communities on the ground.
When you take these kind of innovative solutions and the community networks to the area with, what kind of impact do you see on women in the area?
>> JOSEPHINE MILIZA: Thank you. Also all of the people and the work that we're doing.
For those in the room that are not particular with community networks, it is essentially small scale or locally owned infrastructure providers. Traditionally the best in places where commercial operators are not going, because of the profitability issues. And one of my reflections or learnings or one of the things that I've seen around the impact of locally driven solutions is really understanding the local context.
An example being in the sense of how they look at gender empowerment or women empowerment and inclusion is that when it comes to traditional operators, you find that they are ‑‑ they really do not integrate into issues such as the distance and how long does the woman need to walk in terms of getting to maybe a cyber cafe where they can access the Internet as well as the devices for the affordability and the other roles that they play at home. It is being able towards the spaces where you get to demystify first what technologies are.
But also just develop a programme. They have the impact for the skill building and not just for the ability. Right now for the online space, there's gender online. Gender online violence which impacts women. Some are able to get online, but they get scared and now leave online spaces. So the essence of having the committee networks is having not just online support groups, but in‑person support groups that are able to support this efforts. It is how we can collaborate moving forward. I appreciate the work they have been doing in terms of highlighting where the gaps are and also bringing strong recommendations whether it is on promoting digital policies that look at this issue as well as financing with projects such the WYDF.
There's a lot that's going towards capacity building. Limited efforts in terms of devices are affordable as well as affordable access and infrastructure. Financing is a key aspect. Digital policies that are addressing the issue. Such as the universal access funds, we can be able to incorporate some of the aspects around inclusion at the community level. Thank you.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Thank you. We can all agree that you take the brilliant innovative solution to the community. It has to be meaningfully. Having the section early in the morning on financing mechanism. The panelist shared about how it would be there. We are short of time.
I would like to change towards the audience. Anybody online or in the room would like to share their experience or ask a question to the panelist. Or if you have any insights. Any that you see. Raise your hand and we'll give you a mic. Take your views on this.
>> ONICA MAKWAKWA: I have a question, if there's none on the floor.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: There's one on the floor. I'll come back to you, Onica.
>> AUDIENCE: Okay. Thank you. Thanks for the ideas that you shared today. I just want to tell you that I'm from Colombia and live in Canada. We work in our country. The last year these kind of networks have been related. With women. We have financed by Google.
In order to get the network in Colombia, we have the participation of in. One of the things that we do in the methodology is create a group that we called historic. Like the managers and community network. Most of them are women. They perceive capacity in technical issues. About how to implement, install, and sustain the infrastructure for the community network. The other group of women received the capacity also in how to create contents for the network.
Also other group in the financial and administrative issues for the sustainability of the network. And additionally another group that has tripping, for example, in enterprise beginning in the enterprise or using technology for, we are, for their own interest. We've been working with Meta also in Columbia. We are bringing to some woman the kind of capacity in using the platforms for their own business.
Just to share with you this kind of initiative is done where we can work with women in different activities and different contexts and trying to find what is the interest of the women. Not all want to participant in other things. But we can bring to them the opportunity to have capacities in the different topics in accordance of their interests.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Thank you so much. I hope you can hear me. Thank you for sharing the example with us from Colombia. I think what we can see is that we have the structure when we see what is happening in Colombia. It can make up a huge difference. We have ‑‑ do you want to say something? Yeah. Sure. Sure.
>> SARIM AZIZ: Thank you for sharing. I wanted to note the necessary of the organising the capacity‑building efforts, I want to share that we are also benefiting so much from another type of Working Group. It brings them together. It helps us to understand the issue like the online platforms. It helps us engage in the groups with them.
You are able to support them. You are also able to go women and together with them, we were all stable to address the issues of the LGBQTIA + communities like the online platforms. The confidence building, definitely. On top of that, there's the woman like there's very much in the governance space too. I just wanted to tell that.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Thank you. Thanks for the intervention. It makes a lot of sense. I'm going to take your call. Then we have one from the audience.
>> ONICA MAKWAKWA: Yeah. Sure. Thank you so much.
I have a question for Josephine. We have a imagine divide amongst what is connected. They connected and aren't checked. Amongst those that are connecting, there's a divide that's really entered around the quality of the connection. And so it seems as sort of the obsessed. We talk about community networks as an infrastructure project to bridge some of the gaps for the global south communities. We tend to confine them to rural areas only; right? I mean I think in Africa, for the most part, the model has been its only in places where it has been deemed commercially viable for the operators to provide connectivity.
However, the mobile operators discriminate against users, especially in areas because they tend to focus more on business clients as opposed to the huge pre‑paid mug heads that pays extensively high ways to connect. My question is: why is this scope an opportunity? To consider community networks beyond rural areas.
And I'll just give you an example that New York City public Wifi is the largest community‑owned network that I know of. But I just kind of find it curious. When it comes to Africa, Asia, and maybe even Latin America, we are told that the only way to have a community network is rural areas. That competition that comes from community and old networks is not allowed. It is unfortunate. What it looks like is, yes, we need a competition in terms of the digital technologies. We also need competition in terms of a foundation model that can, you know, service the diversity and inequalities that exist within it as well. I would love to hear your thoughts. If, you know, this would be a pipe log dream or not.
>> JOSEPHINE MILIZA: Thank you, Onica, for bringing that up. Because in our conversations with many regulators, there's usually the issue that there's a lot of pushback as competitors. There's a conversation to have when they are small scale operators. They do not have the financial muscle to pushback. So in our way to appease the cooperators. They say there's no connectivity or cooperativity. You are competing. Then you'll go to the hard‑to‑reach areas. They still become commercially viable. Because whenever the committee networks are in the room. There's the personal use for sustainable.
Then even the large commercial operators are not going to the areas. They are not commercially viable. What we are seeing is that it is not just an issue of no access, but it is also quality is insane. A lot of the opportunities now for people who are leaving up in the areas for the digital work. That means it is very expensive to access. We are seeing not just for community networks who are not for profit, but even the small scale ISP. Really growing and becoming a force to reckon with. Not just affordable, but the ability to provide good customer care service.
It is a time to relook our regulatory frameworks. Not just for not for profit entities. We are seeing the small scale ISP. There's room to serve people the locally available. It is just that regulation is still tight. It is because other players compete unfairly.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Thank you. Thank you. This is greater insight. Just let me mention here: one of the Working Groups for access it does talk about community networks. They have support and community networks. In a way, this is another good example. Where it is not creating what I've been discussed by sensing other departments. It is part of the gender strategy that gives you more importance.
>> AUDIENCE: In Pakistan, the woman is a taboo. How will you bring to the Internet to Pakistan and in Pakistan you have population for a woman? How do you see the woman inclusion on the Internet specifically in the rural area and area especially in the travel logistics?
>> MALAHAT OBAID: Thank you very much for your question. Just to give you a background. We started off with the strategy development process. For my audience as well. It is one of the providences of Pakistan. In which there are, you know, some social barriers are more compared to the rest of the country. Yes. We included while we were doing the processing there was extensive consultation undertaken by the developing strategy. We can have the local as well. We had them on board while we were discussing the issue and the females and the organisations that are working in the area. They were also on board. You can go to the consultation process. That's already available.
The outcomes of the process that is already available is on the web site. PTA web site. There are organisations that I have just mentioned. We are collaborating with and we are working in the specific area. We are talking of the region. There will be working on providing the connectivity as well as, you know, conducting programmes for digital literacy. So we ‑‑ the strategy has a very holistic approach towards all of the locations and the areas that have already connected. That still needs some access to be accessors to be resolved.
With time, the accessibility group that's being led by PTA will be considered. They will be considering taking in to account if there are still some areas or issues that are left for that or not. Covered in the TRs. You are most welcome to follow the process of implementation of the strategy. Thank you.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: Thank you. Thank you so much, Malahat. Thank you for question. We are out of time. I wanted to have a closing statement for each of the panelist. But I think the panel would like to close with a statement for the representative.
>> ONICA MAKWAKWA: Yes. Certainly. Thank you so much. I will just close by saying that, you know, there's a lot of initiative that is are taking place to help close the divide. I'm pleased to share with you one such initiative is the woman in the digital economy fund which has launched this year. It is an 18 dollar fund that's focused on supporting and funding the scale up of our solutions that are focused on women led and women-focused initiatives to close the gender, digital divide. We currently have a round that's open for India only. Please go to WIDF.global. I'll put it in the chat as well for those that are online. It will be closing soon. We will have another global round that will open in March of 2025. I really hope to see many exciting applications, including networks to help close the gender divide in the two worlds. Thank you. If you have any questions, Waqas is the lead for Asia. If you are in the room.
>> WAQAS HASSAN: If you want to know more about how to go about. It is important that we have the time is now; right? The time is now. It is absolutely possible that it is making a meaningful difference in the divide.
With that, I thank you all. I thank you for the panelist. Thank you for the people that are online. Thank you. Thank you.
Onica, I'm glad that you stayed on to speak for a minute. They want to take a picture of the panel.