8 Million Women Join The Digital World In Pakistan This Year

Women's use of mobile internet in Pakistan rose by a record 12 percentage points in 2025, marking significant progress in reducing the country's long-standing digital gender gap, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's (PTA) annual report.

The report said 45% of women aged 18 and above were using mobile internet in 2025, up from 33% in 2024. More than 8 million women came online for the first time during the year, highlighting rapid growth in digital access among women.

PTA data shows the improvement follows years of low connectivity. In 2017, only 10% of women in Pakistan used mobile internet, underscoring the scale of change over the past eight years.

Despite the gains, a gender divide persists. Mobile internet usage among men stood at around 75% to 80% in 2025, considerably higher than among women, though the gap has narrowed compared with previous years.

The regulator attributed the increase in women's internet use to the expansion of 4G networks, greater availability of lower-cost smartphones, increased digital awareness and growing opportunities in online education and e-commerce.

Mobile internet has increasingly become a key tool for women to access information, healthcare services, education and income-generating activities, the report said.

However, the PTA noted that women in rural and socially conservative areas continue to face barriers, including cultural constraints, lower digital literacy and concerns about online safety, limiting wider adoption.

The authority called for targeted measures to further close the gap, including women-focused digital skills programmes, safer online environments and more affordable internet services.

Pakistan currently has more than 150 million broadband subscribers, most of whom use mobile internet. Analysts say expanding women's digital inclusion will be critical to the country's social development and economic growth.

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