A Flagship Initiative of UN Women Pakistan and the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (MoITT) with the support of KOICA
Artificial intelligence is transforming economies, public institutions and societies around the world. In Pakistan, the Government has placed digital transformation, innovation and emerging technologies at the centre of its development agenda, recognizing AI as a key driver of economic growth, improved public service delivery and global competitiveness. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into governance, education, communications and the workplace, ensuring that these technologies are developed and deployed in ways that uphold human rights, reduce bias and leave no one behind has become both a national priority and a shared responsibility.
Pakistan is home to over 247 million people, with nearly 64 per cent of the population under the age of 30, making it one of the world's youngest countries. This demographic presents a tremendous opportunity to harness AI for inclusive growth and innovation. Yet significant gender gaps remain. Pakistan continues to rank among the countries with the widest gender gaps in economic participation, women remain underrepresented in STEM education, AI research and technology leadership, and they are less likely than men to own smartphones or access mobile internet. Women and girls are also disproportionately affected by technology-facilitated gender-based violence and online harms, highlighting the need for AI systems that are ethical, inclusive and safe for everyone.
UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan
The UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan is a flagship initiative of UN Women Pakistan and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) that supports Pakistan's vision for an inclusive and responsible digital future. The initiative strengthens national capacity to harness artificial intelligence ethically and effectively while ensuring that women and girls are not only beneficiaries of technological progress, but also innovators, leaders and decision-makers shaping the future of AI.
The UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan is a flagship initiative of UN Women Pakistan and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) that supports Pakistan's vision for an inclusive and responsible digital future. The initiative strengthens national capacity to harness artificial intelligence ethically and effectively while ensuring that women and girls are not only beneficiaries of technological progress, but also innovators, leaders and decision-makers shaping the future of AI.
As the institutional home of the AI School, MoITT provides strategic leadership, policy alignment and a platform for national capacity-building. UN Women Pakistan leads the programme's technical design, curriculum development and implementation, drawing on its global expertise in gender equality and women's empowerment. Working alongside government institutions, academia, technology leaders and private sector partners, the AI School serves as a national platform to equip leaders and practitioners with the knowledge and practical skills to adopt AI responsibly, foster innovation and accelerate inclusive digital transformation across Pakistan.
“Artificial intelligence is not only a technology issue; it is a gender equality issue. Through the UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan, we aim to equip diverse stakeholders with the knowledge, skills and safeguards needed to ensure AI works for women and girls, expands their opportunities and contributes to a more inclusive digital future.”
Jamshed M. Kazi
Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan
Why the AI School?
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how governments operate, businesses innovate and societies respond to increasingly complex challenges. As Pakistan advances its digital transformation agenda, there is a growing need for leaders and institutions to understand not only the potential of AI, but also how to govern and apply it responsibly, ethically and inclusively.
The UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan addresses this need by strengthening the capacity of policymakers, public officials, parliamentarians, academia, civil society and the private sector to harness AI in ways that promote innovation, improve decision-making and enhance public service delivery while safeguarding human rights, privacy and information integrity. The programme equips participants with practical knowledge and tools to identify and mitigate risks such as algorithmic bias, misinformation, digital safety threats and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
By bridging the gap between technological innovation and institutional readiness, the AI School supports Pakistan's efforts to build a trusted, inclusive and future-ready AI ecosystem; one in which women and girls are not only beneficiaries of technological progress, but also innovators, leaders and decision-makers shaping the country's digital future.
Learning Pathways
The AI School offers tailored learning pathways that reflect the distinct roles and responsibilities of different sectors, ensuring participants gain practical knowledge that can be applied directly within their institutions.
Participants include:
Parliamentarians and legislators
Federal, provincial government and local government representatives
Judiciary and justice sector institutions
Civil society and community leaders
Universities, researchers and academia
Technology companies, entrepreneurs and start-ups
Private sector leaders
Media and communications professionals
United Nations personnel
Each pathway combines strategic understanding with practical application, enabling participants to integrate AI into policymaking, governance, programme implementation, communications and public service delivery while applying responsible and ethical principles.
Curriculum
The curriculum combines conceptual learning with practical application to help participants confidently and responsibly use AI in their respective fields.
Core modules include:
Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
AI for Gender Equality and Inclusive Development
Gender-Responsive AI
Responsible and Ethical AI
AI Governance and Policy
Advanced Prompt Engineering
AI Agents and Emerging AI Applications
AI for Government and Public Administration
AI for Communications, Advocacy and Knowledge Management
AI for Programme Design, Monitoring and Evaluation
AI and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence
Misinformation, Deepfakes and Information Integrity
Data Protection, Privacy and Digital Safeguarding
Inclusive and Human-Centred AI Design
AI for Innovation and Women’s Economic Empowerment
Practical AI Tools for Productivity and Collaboration
The programme combines expert-led sessions, demonstrations, case studies, simulations, collaborative learning and hands-on exercises to ensure participants leave with practical skills that can be immediately applied within their institutions and communities.
Strategic Partnerships
The UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan is delivered through a multi-stakeholder partnership bringing together government institutions, academia, development partners, technology companies and the private sector.
The initiative is generously supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) through UN Women’s Digitalization for Women’s Economic Empowerment (D4WEE) programme. KOICA’s support reflects a shared commitment to promoting inclusive digital transformation, strengthening women’s digital leadership and advancing the responsible, ethical and inclusive use of artificial intelligence.
Academic institutions, AI experts and private sector partners contribute technical expertise, mentorship and innovation, ensuring participants gain practical exposure to emerging technologies and global good practices.
Building Inclusive Digital Leadership
The future of AI depends on who designs it, governs it and benefits from it. Inclusive AI requires diverse perspectives throughout the AI lifecycle from design and governance to deployment and oversight. Through practical learning, institutional partnerships and cross-sector collaboration, the AI School promotes inclusive digital leadership while strengthening the capacity of institutions to adopt AI responsibly.
By advancing gender-responsive, inclusive and responsible artificial intelligence, the programme seeks to ensure that technological innovation expands opportunities for women and girls, strengthens institutions and contributes to more equitable and sustainable development.
Looking Ahead
The UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan is envisioned as a national platform for strengthening AI literacy, institutional capacity and responsible AI leadership across Pakistan. Through collaboration between UN Women Pakistan, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the initiative will help build an AI ecosystem that is gender-responsive, inclusive and responsible.
Designed for long-term impact, the AI School will continuously strengthen the capacity of leaders and institutions through successive learning cohorts, evolving curricula, knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships. By embedding responsible and gender-responsive AI principles within public institutions and across the broader innovation ecosystem, the initiative seeks to build enduring national expertise, promote sustainable digital transformation and ensure that women and girls are active participants in shaping Pakistan's AI future.
Sustainability
The UN Women Gender-Responsive AI School Pakistan is designed as a sustainable national platform for building responsible AI capacity. Through institutional leadership by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), continued collaboration with government, academia, the private sector and development partners, and regularly updated learning programmes, the initiative will strengthen long-term national expertise in gender-responsive AI. By cultivating a network of AI champions across sectors, the AI School will help embed inclusive and responsible AI principles into Pakistan's digital transformation agenda, ensuring lasting impact beyond individual training cohorts.
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20/07/2026