The GSMA released its much-anticipated Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025 yesterday, bringing uplifting news for Pakistan’s digital inclusion landscape. For the first time since 2021, Pakistan has made significant strides in reducing the mobile internet gender gap, shrinking it from 38% in 2023 to 25% in 2024. This impressive progress highlights a growing digital empowerment of women across the country, particularly in rural areas.
According to the GSMA report, the proportion of women using mobile internet in Pakistan surged from 33% in 2023 to 45% in 2024 — the largest increase recorded among all surveyed countries in 2024. This growth was primarily driven by rural women gaining access to mobile internet services, a critical step toward bridging the longstanding digital divide. Around 8 million women joined the mobile internet user base last year, compared to about 5 million men, signaling a pivotal shift toward greater gender parity in digital connectivity.
The report dedicates a special focus on Pakistan’s advancements on pages 38 and 39, highlighting the efforts made by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), mobile network operators, and other stakeholders. Their concerted efforts in promoting digital gender inclusion through policy, infrastructure, and awareness campaigns have clearly begun to bear fruit.
Leadership and collaboration have been key in this success story. Special recognition was given to the Chairman of PTA and his team for their pioneering work on the Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy, which aims to increase digital access for women across the country. This strategy, coupled with grassroots initiatives and partnerships between the government and private sector, has created an enabling environment for women to embrace digital technologies.
The narrowing of the mobile internet gender gap in Pakistan is a critical milestone, not only for digital inclusion but also for broader socio-economic development. Access to mobile internet empowers women by providing opportunities for education, employment, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and social connectivity. It also supports Pakistan’s larger Digital Pakistan vision, aiming to create a digitally empowered society that leverages technology for inclusive growth.
Despite this progress, the report acknowledges that challenges remain, especially in ensuring consistent and affordable mobile internet access in remote and underserved regions. Continued efforts are necessary to sustain momentum and close the gap further, ensuring that no woman is left behind in Pakistan’s digital transformation journey.
The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025 underscores that Pakistan’s journey toward digital gender parity is gaining pace, driven by visionary policies and inclusive initiatives. With more women coming online, the country moves closer to unlocking the full potential of its population in the digital economy, fostering equality, and enhancing social development.
To explore the detailed insights, the full report is available on the GSMA website, showcasing Pakistan’s inspiring progress and the roadmap ahead for continued digital gender inclusion.
