Islamabad, Pakistan — In a landmark move to strengthen Pakistan’s digital future, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), in collaboration with UN Women Pakistan and with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), has officially launched the UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan. The initiative represents a significant milestone in promoting ethical, inclusive, and gender-responsive artificial intelligence (AI) across the country.
The AI School is designed to enhance Pakistan’s national capacity by equipping policymakers, government institutions, parliamentarians, judiciary representatives, academia, civil society organizations, the United Nations system, private sector professionals, and community leaders with the knowledge and practical skills required to harness AI responsibly while ensuring women and girls play an equal role in the country’s digital transformation.
Pakistan Sets a Regional Benchmark for Gender-Responsive AI
Welcoming participants at the launch ceremony, Jamshed M. Kazi, Country Representative of UN Women Pakistan, described the initiative as a pioneering achievement for the Asia-Pacific region.
He stated that Pakistan is establishing a new benchmark through the UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School, becoming the first country in the region to implement a national Training of Trainers (ToT) programme with customized learning pathways for the executive, legislative, judicial, civil society, and private sectors.
According to Kazi, the initiative is not following an existing model but creating one, investing in leadership, institutional capacity, and practical skills needed to build an ethical, inclusive, and gender-responsive AI ecosystem.
Comprehensive AI Curriculum Focused on Ethics and Inclusion
The Gender-Responsive AI School offers a comprehensive curriculum that combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications. Participants receive specialized training in:
- AI fundamentals and emerging technologies
- Gender-responsive and ethical AI
- AI governance and policymaking
- Prompt engineering
- AI agents and automation
- AI applications for public administration
- Inclusive digital development
Before its official launch, the programme successfully conducted specialized training sessions for parliamentarians, government officials, UN personnel, academic institutions, and civil society representatives, helping establish a growing national network of AI champions.
KOICA Reaffirms Commitment to Pakistan’s Inclusive Digital Future
Speaking during the ceremony, Sodam Baek, Deputy Country Director of the KOICA Pakistan Office, reaffirmed KOICA’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s digital transformation.
She noted that investing in digital skills and responsible AI will help create an innovation ecosystem where women and girls can participate equally while contributing to sustainable economic and social development.
Addressing the Global Gender Gap in Artificial Intelligence
The launch of the Gender-Responsive AI School comes at a time when gender inclusion remains largely absent from AI policymaking worldwide.
According to UN Women, only around two dozen of nearly 140 national AI policies globally make any reference to gender equality. The Pakistan initiative seeks to bridge this policy gap by embedding gender equality, ethics, and inclusion into AI governance, innovation, and public policy.
The programme aligns with major international frameworks, including:
- The Global Digital Compact
- CSW67 Agreed Conclusions
- Beijing+30 Agenda
These commitments are being translated into concrete national action through institutional capacity-building and policy development.
MoITT and UN Women Sign MoU to Institutionalize AI School
A key milestone during the launch ceremony was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and UN Women Pakistan.
The agreement formally institutionalizes the Gender-Responsive AI School within Pakistan’s national framework, ensuring long-term sustainability, government ownership, and continued capacity development.
The initiative was also symbolically handed over to the Ministry, reinforcing Pakistan’s commitment to responsible AI governance.
Federal Minister Highlights Pakistan’s Vision for Ethical AI
Delivering the keynote address, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja emphasized that artificial intelligence is reshaping every sector of society.
She stated that Pakistan is committed to ensuring AI development remains inclusive and responsive by strengthening institutional capacity, promoting ethical AI governance, and creating greater opportunities for women and girls to lead within the digital economy.
Pakistan Becomes First South Asian Country to Host UN Women’s National AI Training Programme
The launch marks another historic achievement, with Pakistan becoming the first country in South Asia to host the complete national Training of Trainers track of the UN Women AI School.
Since its regional launch in 2024, the initiative has trained more than 5,000 policymakers, UN personnel, civil society leaders, and young innovators across Asia and the Pacific.
By institutionalizing the programme through a nationally owned platform, Pakistan is positioning itself as a regional leader in gender-responsive AI governance.
Practical AI Solutions for Governance and Public Service
One of the highlights of the launch event was the presentation of outcomes from the Training of Trainers programme.
Participants demonstrated practical AI applications across multiple sectors, including:
- Public administration
- Parliamentary research
- Education
- Community engagement
- Digital governance
These real-world use cases showcased how responsible AI can improve public service delivery while advancing inclusion and innovation.
Supporting Pakistan’s Digital Transformation and Sustainable Development Goals
The UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School contributes directly to Pakistan’s broader digital transformation agenda while supporting the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
MoITT, UN Women Pakistan, and KOICA will continue collaborating with development partners, universities, civil society organizations, and the private sector to ensure artificial intelligence becomes a powerful driver of equality, innovation, and sustainable development across Pakistan.
