Pakistan has no doubt amazing potential in the technology sector, and this just got proven at TechWomen 2019, where a team from Pakistan, consisting solely of energetic females, was declared among the top 5 seed-grant winners.
TechWomen is an exchange program that aims to connect, bring together and empower females that are the potential leaders of the future, especially those working in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to as STEM). The target regions are Africa, Middle East, Central and South Asia where such women are recognized who have big goals like helping their communities and serve as a symbol of inspiration for others. It was launched in 2011 by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is managed by the Institute of International Education.
The team from Pakistan included Asmara Rahat, Ayesha Mumtaz Khan, Farhat Yasmeen, Asna Javed, and Zeenat Anjum who work in and came from different domains such as IT and digital media. Their plan comprised of creating an online portal called Bacha-O.org which will aid in promoting the awareness of the issue of child abuse, which is a grave problem in Pakistan, and of Mera Bacha, that is an already established platform created by the government where child sexual abuse cases can be reported.
In a statement provided on the website, the team said,” Our mission is to reduce child sexual abuse in Pakistan by raising awareness and providing child protection tools, using a new digital platform called Bacha-O. Our objective is to make every child safe by activating the community and engaging all the stakeholders to reduce the number of incidents. A recent report by the Pakistani government depicts an alarming rise in the number of cases of child abuse. Children need a safe environment for societal growth. Our plan is to create a portal, Bacha-O.org, to promote awareness of the issue and of Mera Bacha, an existing government portal for reporting child sexual abuse cases. As awareness increases, we will manufacture wristbands for child protection, create community hubs and an AI chatbot for children, and deliver training for parents and teachers on recognizing and reporting child abuse.”
TechWomen provides mentorship to the teams with the best pitches and especially focuses on enhancing the professional capacity and developing more interest in STEM careers. The grant helps them to apply and work on the prophets in their home countries.
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