ISLAMABAD: The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) has announced the appointment of Aamir Ibrahim, CEO Jazz, as one of the nine global digital inclusion leaders to join its inaugural Advisory Council.

The global fund – which is a joint effort between USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is managed by CARE, Global Digital Inclusion Partnership, and the GSMA Foundation – aims to accelerate progress on closing the gender digital divide.

The Advisory Council will provide guidance, which involves shaping WiDEF’s evidence standards, identifying key challenges for the initiative to focus on, and making recommendations regarding program scope.

Members of the Advisory Council, predominantly hailing from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, encompass representatives from the private sector, civil society, government, and research sectors. They will contribute their expertise and dedication to digital inclusion to shape WiDEF’s strategy.

“Ensuring that every Pakistani has a smartphone in hand and access to vital financial services is not merely a promise but a moral obligation we embrace as Pakistan’s foremost digital operator,” Aamir recently said during Connected Industries discussions during the Mobile World Congress 2024.

He added that Jazz over-indexes its efforts to facilitate women’s digital and financial access, playing a key role in removing barriers to their inclusion and the endless opportunities that connectivity brings.

Jazz has also reported a substantial rise in the inclusion of women within its fintech platform (JazzCash) userbase, with efforts yielding a 30 percent female representation, compared to just 17 percent a few years back.

“Jazz is determined to foster a more inclusive and balanced economic landscape in the country by taking women’s representation to 50 percent in its digital wallet services in the coming years,” Aamir said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024