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International Women's Day to focus on digital inclusion and innovation this year

11:21 PM | 7 Mar, 2023
International Women's Day to focus on digital inclusion and innovation this year
Source: Aurat March (Instagram)

With the International Women's Day (IWD) only a few hours away, it's important to understand the theme and focus of this year's march.

Celebrated annually on March 8, IWD will see women from all walks of life marching for their fundamental rights.

Like every year, 2023's march has a theme, and this time it is digital inclusion of marginalized women in male-dominated spaces and societies. The UN decided "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality." 

Before we begin with what this year's theme is and how will it cater to women, we need to understand the agenda of IWD. The day gives women an opportunity to raise their voice for their rights and celebrate their achievements.

IWD owes its origin to the US socialist and labour movements of the early 20th century. With the first recorded celebration in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, IWD's focus has since broadened from issues of violence against women to work on progress and parity in every field.

It is crucial to understand that no single group owns or runs the event. However, the United Nations usually acts as the face of these celebrations, after it officially recognized IWD in 1977.

According to the UN, the access to the internet gap between men and women is 259 million, and women are largely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

For 2023, the UN will focus on the importance of technological advancements and education among women keeping in mind the alarmingly growing digital gender gap that directly affects job opportunities to cyber safety. 

“Bringing women into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality. Their lack of inclusion, by contrast, comes with massive costs,” suggests the official UN website.

Pakistan is one of the many countries that celebrate Women's Day, also locally known as Aurat March, socio-political demonstrations in cities such as Lahore, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Faisalabad, Multan, Quetta, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar on International Women's Day. 

Noor Fatima

The writer is a staff member.

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Rupee falls below 290 against US dollar in interbank market

KARACHI – The Pakistani rupee on Tuesday continued its ascent, trading at less than Rs290 against the US dollar in the morning interbank market, primarily due to stringent measures in the financial sector.

The US dollar was valued at Rs289.78 around 9:48 am, as reported by the Forex Association of Pakistan, marking a decrease of Rs1.18 from the previous day’s closing rate of Rs290.86.

This ongoing rise in the value of the rupee follows the crackdown on illegal dollar trading initiated earlier this month, with strong support from the military.

In the open market, the rupee also made gains against the dollar, trading at Rs292 compared to the previous day’s rate of Rs293, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan.

Saad Bin Naseer, the director of the financial services platform Mettis Global, noted that this marked the 16th consecutive day of appreciation for the PKR, amounting to nearly a 6% increase.

Naseer attributed this surge primarily to administrative measures, stating that it seems the government’s crackdown on speculative elements contributing to rupee depreciation is having an effect.

He also suggested that if this trend persists and the Afghan border remains closed, the rupee could continue to appreciate in the future. However, he emphasized the importance of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into export-oriented sectors for long-term stability.

Gold Rate in Pakistan Today – September 26, 2023

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

KARACHI – The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 210,100 on Tuesday. The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs180,130.

Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs168,730 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs196,807.

Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.

Today Gold Price in Pakistan - 26 September 2023

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Karachi PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Islamabad PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Peshawar PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Quetta PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Sialkot PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Attock PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Gujranwala PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Jehlum PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Multan PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Bahawalpur PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Gujrat PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Nawabshah PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Chakwal PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Hyderabad PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Nowshehra PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Sargodha PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Faisalabad PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587
Mirpur PKR 210,100 PKR 2,587

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