Punjab Information Technology Board has just recently released a video championing the promotion of Information Technology Industry of Pakistan. And this video, I have to say, truly represents the state of gender diversity in Pakistan.
In the video, you will see 21 entrepreneurs, facilitators, and business leaders from the technology industry sharing important and meaningful insights as to why ‘Join us, work with us, invest in us!’ — the tagline of the video.
However, the representation of women in the video is remarkably low, you will see only 3 women. If we compare it with the percentage of women in technology industry of Pakistan, the number will make more sense. Because women make only 14% of the technology industry in our country. And the women in leadership roles is far less than that.
Today, organizations throughout the world are working to improve the state of gender diversity at workplaces to unlock the true potential of women (and minorities). Because when women join the workforce, they bring with themselves fresh perspectives, ideas for innovation and unique skills for multitasking. According to a recent survey, getting more women at workplaces can add $12 trillion to the global GDP by 2025. In Pakistan, where women make almost 50% of the population, by encouraging more women to join technology industry, we can improve the economic conditions to a great extent.
This video, if had more women representation, could have turned out to be a great role model for everyone in the technology industry. It could have triggered a positive discussion around women participation in the leadership roles and lastly, it could have sent a clear message that our government takes gender diversity seriously and encourages women to join the technology workforce of Pakistan.
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