The idea of a female-oriented digital networking platform has earned laurels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is known for its ‘conservative’ culture regarding women rights. The social networking platform Playbook has been declared startup of the week, which is the latest in a series of reforms enacted by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to advance the rights of women.
Playbook, a female-centered social media platform launched in August 2021 with a seed money of by US $700,000, has been designed for female startup founders, executives, students, and those in career transition to enable them to design the career they desire for themselves. The platform is a house to about 12,000 members and can be described as an edutainment platform that redefines career progression for women. Playbook allows users to create customized profiles, highlighting their skills and professional goals. They can take multiple classes based on their interests, network with other members, find solutions to problems via crowdsourcing and track their progress through games. It mainly provides its users access to social connections, mentors, discussions, live events, and employment opportunities. Simply it acts as a platform to vent their feelings and channelize their entrepreneur skills.
Pakistani women also need to emulate this recent success of Saudi women. In a society where male chauvinism prevails, women can take advantage of such digital platforms to secure their rights. Their unity can help them win their requisite status in society. In our society, females are mostly dependent on their male family members regarding any sphere of life. In the economic sector and politics, their role is limited and a few numbers of females are seen on coveted positions. They are paid less in the job market as well as they have to face more challenges compared to their male counterparts. The creation and use of such a platform will enable them to polish their skills and find better job opportunities according to their talent. Now, they only need courage to exploit this new technology boom in their favour.
