Pakistan-ITU Digital Inclusion Week: Meaningful ICT for All

The “Pakistan-ITU Digital Inclusion week” is being organized by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Pakistan (MoITT), and the International Telecommunication Union (United Nations) on 12-13 December November 2022 at Islamabad Serena Hotel, Pakistan. The events are supported by the Government of Australia, represented by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA), supporting the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. This will be the week of education, awareness, and activism dedicated to address the disparities in digital access. Digital inclusion goals include affordable internet, access to appropriate devices, and digital skills training. In promoting a multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach in digital development, this event is bringing together various stakeholders and partners that are supporting the effort.

Pakistan-ITU Digital Inclusion week will highlight the three main initiatives:

  1. Girls in ICT Day Pakistan 2022
  2. Accessible Cybercafe for All
  3. Child Online Protection

Girls in ICT Day Pakistan 2022

International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated worldwide every year on the 4th Thursday of April (28 April 2022). Girls in ICT Day provides an opportunity for girls and young women to see the benefits of ICT in enabling their career and aspiration. To date, over 377,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 11,400 celebrations of International Girls in ICT Day in 171 countries worldwide.

The MoITT and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) continued the collaboration in 2021, organizing the Girls in ICT Day Pakistan, in partnership with the Pakistan Government, the United Nations, GSMA, Code for Girls, international organizations, and other stakeholders. The celebration in Pakistan aimed to enhance the digital literacy of girls and young women, particularly in cyber security, ICT applications, and the use of digital technologies. The “EQUALS Tech4Girls” workshops were also organised by GSMA, W4, ITU, CodeGirls and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Pakistan, where more than 200 girls and young women were trained from September to November 2021 on e-commerce and mobile apps development.

In Pakistan, the Girls in ICT Day initiative aims to encourage girls and young women to pursue their study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), enhance the level of digital skills, and raise awareness of meaningful and safe use of ICTs. Building upon the previous success of this initiative, ITU is not only sponsoring the event in December 2022, but will continue to support the Girls in Information and Communication Technologies throughout the year of 2023.

Accessible Cybercafe for All

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) aims to support the Persons with Disabilities by establishing an Accessible Cybercafe for All and introduce digital skill programs to bridge the digital divide. Digital skills will enable the persons having visual and hearing impairment, mental illness, physical disability, autism and other vulnerabilities, with ICT skills, and support their education, businesses, and employment opportunities.

ITU with the support of MOITT, Pakistan, is launching the Accessible Cybercafe for all, and the Digital Literacy Training Program that will mainstream ICT accessibility and digital skills.

Child Online Protection

In order to develop and implement a national initiative making the internet safer for children and young people, to raise awareness of the issues and to deal with them in a practical way, it is vital to bring together all the key stakeholders and
players. Furthermore, the international collaboration is an important part of such initiatives as child online protection cannot be tackled alone. The international collaboration and partnerships also help share the lessons learnt, and receive international expert’s feedback to strengthen child online protection mechanisms in Pakistan

Agenda

Day 1, December 12, 2022:

The Inauguration Ceremony

10:00-10:55: Event Start

  • National Anthem and recitation of versus from The Holly Quran
  • Opening Remarks
    • Member, International Coordination, MoITT,
      Mr. Ajmal Anwar Awan
  • Address by Guest of Honor:
    • Director ITU APAC- Mrs. Atsuko Okuda
  • Remarks from:
    • Mr. Julien Harneis, UN Resident Coordinator & Humanitarian
      Coordinator in Pakistan
    • Ms. Ashleigh Light, Acting Deputy Head of Mission, Australian High
      Commission, Pakistan
    • H. E. Ms. Kishwer Zehra, Member of the National Assembly
      Ms. Shaza Fatima Khwaja, SAPM on Youth Affairs
  • Key Note from the Chief Guest:
    • His Excellency Mr. Syed Amin ul Haque, Federal Minister of MoITT
  • Awards distribution in the presence of:
    • Federal Minister MOITT Mr. Syed Amin Ul Haq,
    • SAPM Ms. Shaza Fatima Khwaja,
    • and Mrs. Atsuko Okuda Regional Director ITU
  • Group Photo

11:00-11:30: Coffee Break

11:30-12:30: Digital Inclusion Partners Panel session: Accelerating Digital Inclusion Through Partnerships

  • Session Moderator:
    • Additional Secretary of IT and Telecom Mrs. Aisha Humera Moriani
  • Panelists
    • Mr. Mohsin Mushtaq, Secretary – MOITT
    • Ms. Aiko Akiyama, Social Affairs Officer, UN Economic and Social
      Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)
    • Ms. Aalia Jafar, Director, International Relations, Islamic Chamber
      of Commerce
    • Dr. Iffat Zafar Agha, Co-Founder, Sehat Kahani
    • Dr. Saira, CEO, MedIQ
    • Mr. Ahmed Javed, Senior Market Engagement, Manager M4D,
      GSMA
    • Mr. Shahzad Rasheed, CTO, Huawei

12:30: Lunch Break

Event 1: Girls in ICT Day Pakistan 2022

14:00-14:55: Event Start

  • Recitation of versus from The Holly Quran
  • Opening Remarks:
    • Ms. Jahan Ara, Female Entrepreneur
  • Welcome remarks:
    • Sean Doral, ITU
  • Remarks from:
    • Ms. Aalia Jafar, Director, International Relations, Islamic Chamber of
      Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture
  • Key Note from the Chief Guest:
    • Mr. Tariq Malik, Chairman, NADRA
  • Group Photo

15:00-15:15: Coffee Break

15:15-15:45: Session 1. Girls in ICT Leadership Programme

The session is to inspire young female students, girls, and young students in Pakistan to understand the opportunities that are offered to them in the ICT and STEM sector by providing opportunities to see and talk with actual examples as the role models for them when they think about their own career life. This session will be a trigger to encourage girls and young women in Pakistan to learn more about ICT skills, services, and leadership.

Moderator:

  • Mr. Muhammad Umair Ali, ITU Generation-Connect Asia-Pacific Youth
    Envoys

Speakers:

  • Ms. Saira Faisal, Country Lead Digital Transformation, GSMA
  • Ms. Madiha Pervez, Head of Innovation, Telenor
  • Ms. Fatima Akhtar, Head of Communications, Jazz
  • Mr. Shahzad Rasheed, CTO, Huawei Pakistan
  • Mr. Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, CEO, Universal Service Fund

15:45-16:15: Session 2. Role model story-telling and women in the tech sector

“How can we provide access and safety for girls and young women in the online
environment”?

Role model story telling: Girl Representatives start the conversation by sharing experience studying or starting career in STEM/ICT. While the ICT leaders and experts could provide their experience starting a STEM/ICT career, the challenges, inspiration and the insight on why girls should get into careers in STEM/ICT.

“How can we provide access and safety for girls and young women in the online
environment?”

Moderator:

  • Mr. Muhammad Umair Ali, ITU Generation-Connect Asia-Pacific Youth
    Envoys

Panelists:

  • Ms. Emi Shitara, Japan Brand Communication
  • Ms. Iffat Rose Gill, Founder, Code2Change Pakistan
  • Mr. Philip Victor, AIBD Representative and CEO of Welchman
    Keen
  • Ms. Tabeer Ather, Public Policy Manager, Meta

16:15: Conclusion of the Day

  • Ms. Rury Demsey, Programme Officer, ITU
    Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication

Day 2 – December 13, 2022

Event 2: Accessible Cybercafe for All (ICT Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities

09:00-09:45: Event Start

  • Recitation of versus from The Holly Quran
  • Welcome Remarks:
    • Representative from ITU
  • Opening Remarks:
    • Mr. Ajmal Anwar Awan, Member (IC) MoITT
  • Remarks:
    • CEO Jazz, Mr. Aamir Ibrahim
    • CEO Ignite, Mr. Asim Hussain Shahryar
    • Member IT, MOITT, Mr. Syed Junaid Imam
  • Key Note from the Chief Guest:
    • Member National Assembly, H.E Mrs. Kishwar Zehra
  • Group Photo

09:45-10:00: Coffee Break

10:00-10:40: Session 1: Empowering Persons with Disabilities:
Introduction to Digital Accessibility

Session Moderator:

  • Mr. Jahanzeb Rahim, Director General Wireless, MOITT Pakistan

Panelist:

  • Ms. Aiko Akiyama, Social Affairs Officer, UN Economic and Social
    Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)
  • Mr. Muhammad Atif Sheikh, President, Special Talent Exchange
    Program (STEP)
  • Ms. Iqra Noor, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited
  • Syed Zomma Mohiuddin, President & CEO of Telecom Foundation

10:40-11:15: Session 2: Accessible ICTs for all: Meet the Program Partners

Session Moderator:

  • Mr. Waqas Director ITU/United Nations, MOITT

Panelists:

  • Mr. Omar Malik, Member Telecom, MOITT
  • Mr. Ehsen Puri, Director of ICT, Virtual University, Pakistan
  • Dr. Zain Ul-Abdin – General Manager – Ignite, Pakistan
  • Mr. Mudassar Hussain, Vice President, Public Policy & Regulatory
    Affairs, Jazz Pakistan
  • Mr. Shahid Memon, Pakistan Disabled Foundation
  • Mr. Kashif Ul-Haque, Cisco CGM Pakistan
  • Ms Tahani Iqbal, Manager, Public Policy, Meta
  • Mr Gagandeep Singh Manchanda, Market Engagement Manager M4D,
    GSMA

    11:15-11:20: Concluding Remarks by the Representative of MoITT

    11:20: Coffee Break

    Event 3: Child Online Protection, Pakistan

    11:45-12:25: Event Start

    • Recitation of versus from The Holly Quran
    • Welcome remarks:
      • DG Int’l Coordination, MOITT, Mr. Syed Jawad Sherazi
    • Opening remarks by a representative from ITU
      • Mr. Babur Sohail, Member Legal, MOITT
      • Mr. Shahzeb Rauf, CSO, Huawei Pakistan
      • Representative of DG FIA
      • CEO PTCL, Mr. Hatem Bamatraf
    • Key Note from the Chief Guest:
      • Ex. Federal Secretary, Mr. Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui

    12:25-12:45: Session 1: Panel discussion with the UN Agencies and Intergovernmental organizations on “Overview of the Awareness-Raising Campaign of Child Online Protection”

    Session Moderator:

    • Mr. Muhammad Farooq Cheema, Director Multilateral, MoITT

    Panelist:

    • Ms. Yu Cheng, Project Officer, ITU
    • Ms. Daniela Luciani, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF
    • Mr. Muhammad Umair Ali, ITU Generation-Connect Asia-Pacific Youth
      Envoys

    12:45-13:00: Session 2: Panel Discussion with the Government and Academia on “The State of Online Violence Against Children in Pakistan”

    Session Moderator:

    • Mr. Muhammad Azeem Sadiq, Director Coordination, MoITT

    Panelists:

    • Ms. Syeda Viquar un nisa Hashmi, Advisor/Grievance Commissioner for
      Children & Transgender, Federal Ombudsman
    • Ms. Zahra Nayab, ITU Generation-Connect Asia-Pacific Youth Envoys

    13:00-13:25: Session 3: Panel discussion with Industries on “Preventative measures on protecting children online”

    Session Moderator:

    • Ms. Saira Faisal, Country Lead Digital Transformation, GSMA

    Speakers:

    • Mr. Shan ul Haq, Head of Public Policy, Telenor Pakistan
    • Mr. Shahzeb Rauf, CSO, Huawei
    • Representative from PTA
    • Mr. Muhammad Ayub DG Legal, MOITT
    • Ms. Fakhira Akram, Section Officer, MOITT

    13:20-13:30: Summarization and Wrap-up

    • Representative from the Ministry of Information Technology &
      Telecommunication Pakistan (MoITT)

    13:30-14:30: Lunch Break

    14:30-17:30: E-Governance event by IT Wing, MOITT