| APrIGF 2025 Session Proposal Submission Form | |||||||||||
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| Part 1 - Lead Organizer | |||||||||||
| Contact Person | |||||||||||
| Mr. Waqas Hassan | |||||||||||
| Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) * | |||||||||||
| Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP) | |||||||||||
| Designation | |||||||||||
| Regional Lead for Asia | |||||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||
| Male | |||||||||||
| Economy of Residence | |||||||||||
| Pakistan | |||||||||||
| Stakeholder Group | |||||||||||
| Civil Society | |||||||||||
| Part 2 - Session Proposal | |||||||||||
| Session Title | |||||||||||
| Prioritising Digital Gender Inclusion in Asia: From Token Mentions to Transformative Action | |||||||||||
| Thematic Track of Your Session | |||||||||||
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| Description of Session Formats | |||||||||||
| Panel Discussion (60 minutes) | |||||||||||
| Where do you plan to organize your session? | |||||||||||
| Onsite at the venue (with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants) | |||||||||||
| Specific Issues for Discussion | |||||||||||
| South Asia has the widest gap in mobile internet adoption (32%), mobile ownership (18%) and smartphone ownership (40%) in the world, according to GSMA’s Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025. Out of 885 million women who still do not use the internet, more than 530 million live in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. According to Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP)’s latest research, the exclusion of women from the digital economy cost close to $1.5 trillion in GDP of developing economies over the last decade and if current trends continue, another $500 billion could be lost over the next 5 years. Digital gender inclusion is not just a social issue, it is an economic crisis! Governments in the Asia-Pacific region have been mentioning digital equality in various national ICT policies/strategies but rarely do they see it as a priority in the policy agenda due to lack of awareness, capacity, resources and data limitations. Yet, there are some shining examples in the region, both from public and private sector, where digital gender empowerment has been prioritised and backed with concrete action plans and high-level oversight. This session will discuss the current state of digital gender gap in South Asia and how prioritizing gender inclusion can bring socioeconomic benefits to the region. The panel will feature changemakers that have taken tangible actions, not just commitments, through policy interventions and/or community empowerment. The practical insights of these gender champions will equip the audience with practical insights, knowledge and process to translate ideas and commitments into real actions that can reduce the digital gender gap in their respective territories. Finally, the session will offer networking opportunities for stakeholders to forge partnerships, share resources, and collaborate on future initiatives pertaining to the digital empowerment and inclusion of women in developing countries. |
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| Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF | |||||||||||
| The proposal is directly relevant to the ‘Access and Inclusion’ sub-theme of the conference with strong links to the security & trust sub-theme. Digital gender empowerment is a cross-cutting issue that has significant impact on the overall digital transformation of the Asia-Pacific, requiring multistakeholder engagement, awareness and case studies. Policymakers need to realise that infrastructure development does not mean equitable access. There are inherent barriers of affordability, digital skills, societal norms (particularly in developing countries), and online safety concerns that prevent women from using the internet despite having access to it. As the conference is being held in South Asia – worst performing sub-region on gender digital divide – it is the ideal opportunity to raise this issue at the APrIGF and foster strategic thinking as well as share actionable approaches to address this divide with the audience. The session also conforms to the Ministerial Statement by the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), UN SDG’s Goal 5, Global Digital Compact and WSIS Action Lines. Following policy questions will be addressed, relevance to APAC internet governance landscape: - ● How can national and regional digital policies more effectively integrate gender-responsive approaches to enhance women’s digital inclusion and participation in the digital economy? ● What are the unique barriers for digital gender inclusion in Asia and how to address those challenges? ● What are the principles of inclusive policy development when developing national strategies/policies to bridge the digital gender divide? ● What are the required changes that can put gender empowerment on the top of the digital governance agenda? ● What are the ideal ways in which the community, industry and platforms can come together to help overcome barriers to digital inclusion of women and influence positive governance practices on this issue? |
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| Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right) | |||||||||||
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| Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible) - (Required) | |||||||||||
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| Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session. | |||||||||||
| The panel composition aims to add representation from government, private sector, civil society and donor agency to have a balanced view on the issue. Ms. Malahat will talk about Pakistan’s ‘Digital Gender Inclusion in ICTs’ Strategy that encompasses a whole-of-society approach for women empowerment in Pakistan. Ms. Onica will share practical insights and policy recommendations from GDIP’s global study: “Connected Resilience: Gender Experiences of Meaningful Connectivity”. Mr. Raj will share the donor perspective and insights from APNIC Foundation’s Switch program that helps women with career growth through personalised capacity building and mentorship. From the platform side, Mr. Sarim will share how Meta prioritises cyber safety protocols to provide a thriving online environment for women and girls. Ms. Amrita will share the community perspective and how to mobilise the civil society for a collective stance on this issue. |
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| If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for. | |||||||||||
| Not applicable | |||||||||||
| Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2025. | |||||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||||
| If yes, please detail the person and his/her level of engagement on your session proposal. (e.g. 1 or more of the PC members are co-hosting/moderating/speaking at the session) | |||||||||||
| Waqas Hassan (myself) and Amrita Choudhary are part of the PC | |||||||||||
| Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2025? | |||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||
| Upon evaluation by the Program Committee, your session proposal may only be selected under the condition that you will accept the suggestion of merging with another proposal with similar topics. Please state your preference below: | |||||||||||
| Yes, I am willing to work with another session proposer on a suggested merger. | |||||||||||
| Brief Summary of Your Session | |||||||||||
| The session convened a high-impact dialogue, bringing together a diverse panel of experts and practitioners working at the intersection of gender, technology, and policy that includes Onica Makwakwa (GDIP), Neeti Biyani (APNIC Foundation), Malahat Obaid (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority), Amrita Choudhury (CCAOI), and Ruzan Sarwar (Meta). The session set out to explore how stakeholders can move beyond rhetorical commitments to tangible and measurable action in closing the region’s digital gender divide. Panelists examined the realities of access and affordability, perception changes, online safety, digital skills development, and structural barriers to inclusion — all within the broader context of economic empowerment and equitable participation in the digital economy. Discussions highlighted the stark disparities in women’s meaningful connectivity across Asia and the immense economic and social cost of exclusion through insights from the GDIP’s research titled “Connected Resilience”. Other examples such as the Pakistan Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy illustrated how national frameworks can translate global commitments into actionable reforms, while also revealing the bureaucratic, cultural, and coordination challenges that often impede progress. Industry perspectives from Meta shed light on digital safety initiatives and technical tools, such as StopNCII.org, which address online harms disproportionately faced by women. Civil society voices emphasized the importance of co-designing solutions with, not just for, women and gender-diverse individuals. The conversation with APNIC Foundation and CCAOI also recognized that gender digital inclusion extends beyond access—it must encompass agency, skills, and representation. Participants underscored the need for multi-sectoral collaboration, data-driven policymaking, and intersectional approaches that include persons with disabilities and gender-diverse populations. Overall, the session provided a multi-dimensional view of gender inclusion as a cornerstone of digital governance in Asia-Pacific, calling for joint action to ensure digital transformation benefits everyone equitably. |
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| Substantive Summary of the Key Issues Raised and the Discussion | |||||||||||
| Meaningful Connectivity and Economic Cost: Onica Makwakwa’s presentation of the Connected Resilience study set the tone, illustrating that mere Internet access is insufficient without meaningful connectivity — consistent, affordable, safe, and empowering use of digital technologies. She noted that women’s limited participation in digital economies may cost half a trillion dollars to the middle-income countries in the next five years, making digital inclusion not only a social justice issue but an economic imperative. Policy Leadership and Institutional Coordination: Malahat Obaid highlighted Pakistan’s pioneering Gender Inclusion Strategy, launched through the PTA, as an example of national-level commitment. The strategy established working groups on access, affordability, online safety, inclusion, data and digital skills. However, the implementation is facing critical governance challenges: overlapping mandates between ministries, lack of reliable data, and the challenge of maintaining gender as a cross-cutting priority within government. These insights reflected a broader regional need for clearer coordination mechanisms. Private Sector Accountability: Ruzan Sarwar of Meta described the company’s multi-pronged approach to women’s online safety, combining clear policies, proactive engagement with experts, and the use of technological safeguards such as StopNCII.org to prevent non-consensual image sharing on such a large userbase. She emphasized that effective risk mitigation requires sustained collaboration between tech companies, civil society, and regulators. Capacity Building and Representation: Neeti Biyani stressed that bridging the digital divide requires inclusive design and co-creation. She shared examples from the APNIC Foundation’s SWITCH Programme, empowering over 600 women and gender-diverse individuals to develop digital and leadership skills. She called for “collectivising impact” — pooling resources across sectors to avoid duplication and scale up successful interventions. Governance Gaps and Cultural Barriers: Amrita Choudhury underscored the fragmentation between government departments and the siloed nature of digital inclusion efforts. She called for integration of universal service funds, regulatory coordination, and context-sensitive approaches that recognize linguistic diversity and social norms restricting women’s participation. Intersectionality and Data: Panelists agreed that inclusion strategies must also serve persons with disabilities and gender-diverse communities. The absence of gender-disaggregated and intersectional data remains a major obstacle to informed policymaking. |
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| Conclusions and Suggestions of Way Forward | |||||||||||
| The discussion concluded with a clear consensus that digital gender inclusion must evolve from aspiration to shared responsibility. Participants emphasized that inclusion should not remain a policy slogan but become a collective societal commitment involving governments, private sector, academia, and communities. They agreed that digital solutions must be co-created with women and gender-diverse individuals at the center, ensuring approaches are locally relevant, intersectional, and equitable. Collaboration across sectors was viewed as essential to building safer, more empowering digital spaces, while acknowledging that exclusion often stems not only from lack of capacity or infrastructure but also from limited awareness, opportunity, and confidence to participate. Future strategies should therefore integrate access with education, motivation, and cultural change to foster meaningful engagement. The session concluded with a call to sustain these multistakeholder dialogues, institutionalize inclusive design within digital governance, and transform equality commitments into measurable, long-term practices that ensure women and marginalized groups are not just connected—but truly empowered to shape their digital futures. | |||||||||||
| Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||
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| Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||
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| How were gender perspectives, equality, inclusion or empowerment discussed? Please provide details and context. | |||||||||||
| The entire session was centered on the digital gender inclusion and tangible actions to empower the women in developing countries. The inherent barriers to women’s inclusion in digital economy and good practices to overcome such challenges was discussed by an all-female panel of speakers from diverse backgrounds. | |||||||||||
| Consent | |||||||||||
 I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2025. |
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