Jazz, Pakistan’s largest digital operator, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched the Women Initiative in Social Entrepreneurship (WISE) to promote women-led social innovation in Pakistan.
The WISE Bootcamps, registrations for which are open now, aim to empower 400 women social entrepreneurs across 12 cities of Pakistan with essential business knowledge and skills to manage sustainable social enterprises.
To strengthen the start-up ecosystem in Pakistan, in 2020, Jazz and UNDP partnered to launch SDG Bootcamps to promote social innovation and entrepreneurship by youth in Pakistan. The SDG Bootcamps engaged 401 participants, 40% of them being women entrepreneurs. The solutions addressed by these enterprises included climate action, health, and digital transformation.
Continuing the partnership – and with implementation through the School of Leadership Foundation (SoLF) – the WISE Bootcamps will focus on strengthening Pakistan’s women social entrepreneurs.
“WISE is aimed at empowering Pakistani women by creating opportunities for financial and digital inclusion for the women and youth,” said Aamir Ibrahim, CEO Jazz. “This outcome resonates well with Jazz’s purpose of improving the lives and livelihoods of women in Pakistan through technology. We hope women-led businesses in WISE will address unique challenges and create innovative solutions that positively impact their communities and beyond.”
“Digital space in Pakistan must be a place for gender equality, social and economic empowerment and inclusion. Knowledge, technology skills, and innovative entrepreneurship are all part of this ecosystem. If we get it right, development indicators of inclusion and gender equality will achieve their positive trajectory,” remarked Samuel Rizk, UNDP’s Resident Representative to Pakistan.
Emphasising innovation, WISE seeks enterprises that address at least one of the country’s development challenges and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Aspiring social entrepreneurs across Pakistan can apply for registrations: http://bitly.ws/KIDR