Qtel Group to halve gender gap in mobile connectivity by 2014

Companies in the Qtel Group are working to help close the gender gap in access to mobile services, in support of the global GSMA mWomen Programme, with a plan to reduce the mobile gender gap by 50 percent by 2014.

Earlier in June, leading international communications companies took part in a GSMA mWomen Working Group meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, to review progress on a number of key projects and share insights and key learnings from Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

Some of the initiatives undertaken by Qtel Group companies were highlighted at the event along with some of the exciting opportunities to support empowering and lifeenhancing services dedicated to women.

mWomen Programme Director at GSMA Trina DasGupta said, “Working Group meetings are a vital component of our programme’s activities and we are grateful for the support of Qtel and Indosat in hosting the June 2012 event. The mobile industry is working to close the mobile phone gender gap and create life-enhancing services for women. We look forward to furthering those goals following this meeting.”

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Women in low to middle income countries are 21 percent less likely to own a mobile phone than their male counterparts, according to research conducted by the GSMA Development Fund and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. As a result, they are excluded from significant social and economic benefits. The GSMA mWomen Programme has set a target of reducing the mobile gender gap by 50 percent by 2014.

Senior Manager Marketing Research at Qtel Group Maryam Ali al Hajri said, “One of the core aspects of Qtel Group’s approach to mWomen initiatives is the push to share key learnings across our global operations and with our colleagues in the industry, and to look to replicate successes as appropriate in different markets. Besides our efforts in Indonesia, we have also launched the Almas Line in Iraq – an offering that focuses on specific needs for female customers especially in the most conservative regions of Iraq-and are looking at potential projects in other Qtel Group companies.”

Companies in the Qtel Group continue to support a range of projects designed to close the mobile gender gap and empower women through access to new and innovative technologies.

Indosat, part of the Qtel Group, has been one of the trail blazers in this area, orchestrating a range of campaigns to tackle real and systemic social issues. Indonesia has a population of 240 million people, 75 percent of whom live below the poverty line and with a parallel 75 percent penetration level for mobile phone access. Indosat is engaged with a number of programmes to leverage the opportunities presented by mobile phone use and ensure that the services provided are tailored to the specific needs of women in a developing nation.

source: Qatar Tribune

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