𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻– The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan Joined Hands with UNICEF Pakistan and Pakistan Girl Guides Association at the 2nd Pakistan Girls Empowerment Forum which was attended by over 100 girl guides, guiders and trainers from across Pakistan including Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Sindh, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab. The forum aimed to empower young girls by equipping them with the skills, confidence, and awareness needed to take on leadership roles and to become catalysts of positive change in their communities.

As part of its contribution, National CERT delivered a comprehensive training session on online safety and cyber readiness, specifically focused on empowering girls to navigate the digital world. The session led by Mr. Khurram Javed (Director Capacity Building), addressed pressing digital challenges such as online scams, cyberbullying and cyber harassment faced by the women in our region. It also highlighted the effective and responsible use of social media as a tool for empowerment and advocacy. The training was highly interactive, and participants showed keen interest in learning practical strategies to navigate the digital space safely and confidently. Ms. Zaheema Iqbal (AD Advisory & Communications) actively contributed towards organizing the event and further developing collaborations with dynamic organizations to develop a female empowered secure ecosystem.

Mr. Khurram Javed also delivered a keynote address in the closing ceremony alongside officials from UNICEF-Pakistan, the Pakistan Girl Guides Association, and the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW). In his address, he emphasized that empowering girls is not a one-time effort but a continuous journey requiring shared responsibility and collaboration. He encouraged participants to become advocates of digital safety in their communities, to raise their voices against online abuse, and to channel their energy toward building a secure and inclusive digital future for themselves and for the generations to come. National CERT remains committed to building digital resilience among Pakistan’s youth and continues to support initiatives that strengthen cyber awareness, digital literacy, and gender empowerment across the nation.