Team Pakistan was listed among the top five at Tech Women 2019. The win will allow the team to turn their entrepreneurship pitch into a reality.
Congrats to the #Pakistan team who won their entrepreneurship pitch during the @ECAatState @TechWomen in #California! The 5-member team won the pitch competition for their project designed to reduce child abuse in Pakistan through technology. #STEM #USPAK #USinPAK #USEmbassyISB pic.twitter.com/9M5PRUCfCd
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) November 3, 2019
TechWomen empowers, connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East by providing them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities.
Team Pakistan comprised of Asmara Rahat, Asna Javed, Ayesha Mumtaz Khan, Farhat Yasmeen, and Zeenat Anjum with expertise ranging from IT to AI and digital media.
Read more: Ministry of Human Rights launches campaign against child abuse
Their pitch was to create a portal, Bacha-O.org, to promote awareness of the issue of child abuse in Pakistan and of Mera Bacha, an existing government portal for reporting child sexual abuse cases.
“Our mission is to reduce child sexual abuse in Pakistan by raising awareness and providing child protection tools, using a new digital platform called Bacha-O. Our objective is to make every child safe by activating the community and engaging all the stakeholders to reduce the number of incidents. A recent report by the Pakistani government depicts an alarming rise in the number of cases of child abuse. Children need a safe environment for societal growth,” the team said on Techwomen’s website.
“As awareness increases, we will manufacture wristbands for child protection, create community hubs and an AI chatbot for children, and deliver training for parents and teachers on recognizing and reporting child abuse.” the team added.
Read more: Pakistani engineers develop robotic arm that will obey your brain
During the action planning process, the teams showcased their projects alongside Impact Coaches and developed their cases over the duration of four weeks. The teams were then given a chance to then win themselves a seed-grant that would support them in implementing their projects back home. The exchange took place in California, US.
The TechWomen community just got stronger: after an incredible five weeks of exchange and learning, our 106 Emerging Leaders are now fellows. Welcome to the powerful TechWomen alumnae community! #twimpact pic.twitter.com/I0kYiIzf02
— TechWomen (@TechWomen) November 1, 2019