Islamabad, Nov 21: The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) has announced the recipients of its first round of funding, awarding over $1 million to DEMO Pakistan for its efforts to bridge the gender digital divide.
DEMO Pakistan aims to empower 10,000 female university students in remote and underserved regions by providing digital entrepreneurial training, promoting financial independence, and closing the digital gap for women.
The gender digital divide continues to disproportionately affect women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 244 million more men than women used the internet globally last year, highlighting the scale of the challenge.
This divide limits women’s access to essential opportunities in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and financial independence.
With a mission to address these disparities, WiDEF launched its first call for proposals in March 2024, receiving over 1,350 applications from 98 countries.
The WiDEF initiative will provide each of the 10 selected organizations, eight of which are women-led, with between $500,000 and $1.5 million to scale their digital inclusion solutions over the next two years.
WiDEF is a partnership between USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with additional support from the Reliance Foundation and the UPS Foundation, committing over $80 million to advancing gender equity in digital access.
Christian Pennotti, Chief of Party for WiDEF, expressed pride in supporting these leaders, stating, “WiDEF is fostering a real shift in who gets funded and who leads the way in digital inclusion by investing in local and women-led initiatives.”
