A global startup and technology competition called She Loves Tech places a lot of emphasis on empowering female entrepreneurs.
A global startup and technology competition called She Loves Tech places a lot of emphasis on empowering female entrepreneurs. She Loves Tech has been presented in Pakistan for the past seven years in a row by CIRCLE Women Association, a women-led startup, with assistance from HBL and building on the success of earlier iterations.
Women who own businesses face a variety of challenges in a country where, according to the World Bank, there are only 1% of female entrepreneurs. On the other hand, out of the more than 70 countries where the competition is taking place, She Loves Tech Pakistan is at the top of the list of the top 10 rounds with the most applications in 2022.
She Loves Tech, which contributes significantly to the development of young startups and the transformation of their concepts into real world applications, is notable for its prize funding of up to $100,000.
It also connects female entrepreneurs with a network of more than 50 ecosystem partners, inspirational role models, and mentors while also enhancing their skills through specialised curriculum. The winner from Pakistan will have the opportunity to attend the She Loves Tech Global Conference and Finale in Singapore.
CIRCLE Women founder Sadaffe Abid explained why she decided to bring the competition to Pakistan, saying, “Supporting female entrepreneurs is not just an option; it is an absolute necessity in this day and age. By closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship, we can tap into our women’s untapped talent and creativity to address contemporary issues. Embracing women in their entrepreneurial endeavours goes beyond the creation of businesses and contributes to resilience building, family uplift, generational empowerment, and the development of vibrant communities.”
She Loves Tech 2023 is taking proactive measures to encourage communication and cooperation between government officials and business leaders for women’s financial inclusion. Round table conferences will be held as part of this initiative with the goal of collaborating to create policies that create a welcoming environment for female entrepreneurs and enable their successful participation in the vibrant startup ecosystem.
“Thanks to CIRCLE, participating in She Loves Lech Pakistan has been an incredible experience! I found a community that I can call my own and rely on whenever necessary thanks to She Loves Tech, which also helped me realise that I’m not the only woman entrepreneur out there. We were significantly shaped for our victory by the mentors and the training we received at the boot camp. Dr. Sarah Alam, the founder of Tibbi.pk and the She Loves Tech Pakistan 2022 winner, explains.
This year, among the 15 participating cities, She Loves Tech will hold local rounds in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Hyderabad, and Gilgit. The She Loves Tech Pakistan team will visit six of the nine cities as part of the outreach efforts, hold the rounds there, and interact with the startups in person.
With the help of captivating pitches, insightful panel discussions, motivational talks, digital boot camps, and workshops catered to their needs, the aim is to empower 25,000 young women across Pakistan.