Qatar’s Ooredoo has bagged a bronze award last week in New York at the 2014 Stevie Awards for Women in Business for its maternal healthcare mobile application.
Called “MayMay,” the app was developed in conjunction with Myanmar-based start-up Koe Koe tech and non-governmental institution Population Services International (PSI), which aims to help reduce Myanmar’s high maternal and infant mortality rates.
Launched in September, “maymay” bridges the mobile and health sectors to help ensure that a wealth of useful and timely maternal, child health and wellness information is at the fingertips of women across Myanmar both during and after pregnancy.
Initial development of the service was funded by the GSMA Connected Women programme, which seeks to close the ICT skills gender gap, attract and retain female talent and encourage female leadership in technology on a global basis.
Nasser Marafih, group CEO of Ooredoo, said that “MayMay” is a prime example of how mobile technology can be harnessed to improve access to essential information.
“We have taken a lead in providing life-enhancing services for women and this initiative is a great example of our efforts to support the greater inclusion of women and to accelerate the female digital economy across our markets,” he said, adding that every woman should have an equal opportunity to use a mobile phone and benefit from this connectivity.
The app was showcased at Myanmar’s first-ever Connected Women conference in Yangon hosted by Ooredoo and focusing on the role of women in Myanmar’s rapidly growing mobile and technology sectors.
During the event, Ooredoo’s start up accelerator, Ideabox, also launched Geek Girls Myanmar, a community group of female technology professionals, students and enthusiasts and the first designed-for-women initiative in the technology industry in Myanmar, which seek to encourage greater engagement and female participation within the technology sector as a whole.
At the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting held recently, Ooredoo said it will work with the GSMA and other partners to develop studies which derive insights into the socio-economic benefits of greater inclusion of women in the telecommunications sector.
The findings will be used by partners to develop initiatives and services for female consumers and employees. In Myanmar, Ooredoo will draw on the data to provide tailored services for women.
