Islamabad (Staff Report): Jazz, Pakistan’s largest digital operator, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have joined forces to launch the Women Initiative in Social Entrepreneurship (WISE), aimed at promoting women-led social innovation in Pakistan.
Open for registrations, the WISE Bootcamps intend to empower 400 women social entrepreneurs across 12 cities in Pakistan by equipping them with vital business knowledge and skills to manage sustainable social enterprises. Building upon their successful 2020 partnership to promote social innovation and entrepreneurship among youth through SDG Bootcamps, Jazz and UNDP continue their collaboration.
The SDG Bootcamps involved 401 participants, including 40% women entrepreneurs, addressing issues such as climate action, health, and digital transformation. Implemented through the School of Leadership Foundation (SoLF), the WISE Bootcamps aim to strengthen the ecosystem for women social entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Aamir Ibrahim, CEO Jazz, expressed the initiative’s objective: “WISE is aimed at empowering Pakistani women by creating opportunities for financial and digital inclusion for women and youth. This aligns with Jazz’s mission to improve the lives and livelihoods of women in Pakistan through technology. We hope that WISE women-led businesses will offer innovative solutions to unique challenges, making a positive impact on their communities and beyond.” Samuel Rizk, UNDP’s Resident Representative to Pakistan, emphasized the importance of gender equality and inclusion in the digital space: “Knowledge and skills of technology 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.” WISE seeks enterprises that address Pakistan’s development challenges and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Aspiring social entrepreneurs across the nation can apply for registrations through this link: http://bitly.ws/KIDR.
For further information, please contact: – Tabindah Anwar at tabindah.anwar@undp.org or +92 (51) 835 5650. – Khayyam Siddiqi at khayyam.siddiqi@jazz.com.pk or +92 300 111 5855