ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has announced the establishment of the first women’s software technology park in Azad Kashmir, which will start work in February next year. The purpose of setting up the park is to end the gender-based digital divide in the region.
As per the report, a meeting of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) was held under the chairmanship of the Minister of State for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, to review the overall performance of the country’s IT sector.
The move to set up a software technology park in Azad Kashmir is part of the government’s larger plan, announced in May, under which 10 new software technology parks will be established across the country by next year, one of which will be set up in the federal capital.
These parks, to be set up by the government, will include incubation centers and other facilities that will help startups. They will also expand Pakistan’s digital sector, increase IT exports, and promote gender inclusion in the tech sector.
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“The move to set up a software technology park in Azad Kashmir reflects our commitment to creating equal opportunities for women and ensuring their meaningful participation in Pakistan’s digital economy,” the minister said in an official statement issued after the meeting chaired by Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
The PSEB-supported software technology parks consist of 20 percent of the workforce comprising women IT professionals, the statement said.
Also read: National Aerospace Science and Technology Park inaugurated; a new era of technology begins.
At present, more than 18,000 export professionals are working in 43 IT parks in Pakistan. Since 2020, PSEB initiatives have resulted in the creation of more than 10,000 jobs through targeted training, certificates, and internship programs.
