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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that empowering females is a “national priority” and essential for the nation’s economic well-being and development, as the world marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science. 

The world marks Feb. 11 each year as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to highlight the significant gender gap in all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines around the world. 

In conservative Pakistan, some rural areas are still ruled by a patriarchal system of male village elders who wield significant influence in their communities and bar women from seeking educational and employment opportunities. 

“For us empowering women and girls in science is a national priority and an all-out effort is being made to create an enabling environment and providing equal opportunities, to ensure that women become key drivers of progress and innovation in the 21st century,” Sharif said in a message shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). 

He said the Pakistani government has prioritized programs that focus on skill development, support for women-led start-ups and greater access to research funding. 

“Initiatives include training in robotics, AI and digital solutions, scholarships and programs encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship,” the PMO said. 

Sharif highlighted the underrepresentation of women in science and technology, noting that they make up less than 30 percent of the world’s researchers and only 22 percent in the field of AI, citing data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Despite the challenges in conservative Pakistan, some women have made significant contributions to science globally. Dr. Nergis Mavalvala, a Pakistani American astrophysicist, was part of the team that achieved the scientific milestone of detecting gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesized by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago. Dr. Tasneem Zehra Husain, a theoretical physicist, science writer and educator, made headlines around the world when she became the first Pakistani woman to earn a PhD in string theory. 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the World Governments Summit in Dubai today, Tuesday, with his speech focusing on his country’s vision for inclusive economic growth, his office said in a statement. 

Over 400 ministers and thousands of industry leaders, experts, and policymakers are taking part in the summit from Feb. 11-13. As per the WGS, the event will also welcome over 80 international, regional and intergovernmental organizations to join a discussion on the future of governance, global challenges and their innovative solutions. 

Sharif arrived on his second visit to the UAE since assuming office in March last year with a high-level delegation on Monday. The prime minister spoke to investors and is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Tuesday highlighting Pakistan’s vision for inclusive economic growth, digital transformation and governance reforms, the foreign office said in a statement earlier. 

“The Prime Minister will represent Pakistan at the World Governments Summit in Dubai and will address it live on Pakistan Television,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. 

It added that Sharif will also meet the UAE’s vice president, the prime minister and ruler of Dubai, the Sri Lankan president, the chairperson of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and investors in the UAE during his trip. 

Sharif spoke to investors in the UAE on Monday, saying that Islamabad was having a “very close interaction” with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in minerals and mining sectors. 

The summit is an important event for Pakistan, which has reached out to regional allies and economic partners in recent months to escape a prolonged economic crisis that has drained its resources and triggered inflation in the country. 

The WGS was established in 2013 under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE’s vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai. The organization says since then its leadership has continued to champion the mission of shaping future governments and creating a better future for humanity.