According to a report released on Monday, Pakistan remain among the world’s worst performers in terms of internet access and digital governance in 2022. The paper, titled Pakistan’s Internet Landscape 2022, was produced last year by Bytes For All, a human rights and advocacy organisation, and examines in depth the nexus between human rights and information and communication technology in Pakistan. In terms of internet access and overall governance, Pakistan made some gains, but in the context of the world, the country remains among the worst performers, even within just Asia, according to the report. It emphasises that, despite increased internet penetration, around 15% of the population still does not have access to the internet or mobile or telecom services.
Add to this a lack of inclusivity and digital literacy, one of the largest global gender gaps in access, and a struggle to stay online due to load-shedding and blackouts caused by an energy crisis and catastrophic floods, it stated. According to the report, Pakistan placed last out of 22 Asian countries and 79 internationally across the key parameters of availability, affordability, relevance, and readiness. Furthermore, a massive gender gap in internet and mobile phone access for females was identified as a major issue in the country. According to the Bytes for All study, they emphasised Pakistan’s poor ranking in terms of female access, while they noted that the gap had improved marginally over time. In summary, Pakistan had the widest gender gap in mobile ownership of all countries surveyed, with only half of women owning a mobile phone, compared to more than 75% of men, the report concluded. The report also emphasised the failure to realise the potential of digital governance, stating that while both the federal and provincial governments launched a number of online initiatives, the momentum for a ‘Digital Pakistan’ could not be maintained.
Post Your Comments