Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi – On 10 October 2026, 10Pearls marked a decade of its flagship Women Tech Quest (WTQ) by convening a thousand female technologists for the biggest women‑only AI competition the country has seen. The three‑city event, now in its tenth edition, culminated in a series of hackathon challenges, intensive workshops and mentorship sessions that saw participants develop artificial‑intelligence prototypes aimed at solving pressing local problems.
The gathering featured more than 5 hundred project submissions, ranging from AI‑driven diagnostic tools for rural health clinics to smart‑farming platforms that optimise water use for smallholder farmers. Judges, drawn from leading Pakistani tech firms, academia and the public sector, highlighted the practicality and scalability of the solutions, awarding top teams with cash prizes, incubator support and opportunities to pilot their prototypes with governmental and private partners.
Organisers underscored that WTQ’s growth reflects a broader shift in Pakistan’s technology landscape, where women are increasingly entering and shaping fields traditionally dominated by men. Since its inception in 2017, the initiative has expanded from a modest pilot in Karachi to a tri‑city program that now integrates more than 30 industry mentors, several university research labs and a network of female‑led startups. The 2026 edition also introduced a new “AI for Social Good” track, encouraging participants to align their projects with national development goals such as the Digital Pakistan Vision and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Beyond the competition, the event served as a networking hub, connecting aspiring engineers and data scientists with senior professionals from 10Pearls, Microsoft Pakistan, the National ICT R&D Fund and other key stakeholders. Participants reported gaining hands‑on experience with tools like TensorFlow, PyTorch and cloud‑based AI services, as well as insights into product development cycles, fundraising and regulatory compliance—skills that are often scarce in the country’s nascent AI ecosystem.
The impact of the program is expected to ripple through the wider economy. Analysts note that empowering women in high‑tech roles can boost labour‑force participation rates and diversify the talent pool, which is crucial as Pakistan seeks to attract foreign investment in AI and digital services. Moreover, the prototypes emerging from WTQ could address chronic challenges in health, agriculture and education, sectors that employ a large proportion of the nation’s workforce.
Looking ahead, 10Pearls announced plans to scale the competition further, with aspirations to include participants from smaller towns and to introduce a virtual component that would allow remote collaboration across the country’s diaspora. By fostering a supportive community and providing concrete pathways from idea to implementation, the Women Tech Quest initiative aims to cement Pakistan’s reputation as an emerging hub for gender‑inclusive innovation in artificial intelligence.