Pakistan is not usually associated with remote work. Neither is Kenya or Belarus. However, using the web and remote work platforms, the enterprising and web-savvy citizens of these countries are overcoming tremendous obstacles to claim their rightful place in a borderless, global economy. Pakistan makes headlines as a place of political inconstancy and severe economical instability. Like many parts of the world, the Pakistani unemployment rate is the highest the country has ever seen (at 13.6%), and many highly-qualified people find themselves jobless. In this environment, remote work is a great source of opportunity for the Pakistani community to earn its livelihood, and the world to find a new well of talented, hard-working professionals in the process. But remote work here isn’t without challenges -- language barriers, a nationwide major power crisis, and much more threaten the possibilities for remote workers in Pakistan, and countries like it. How do workers facing these issues provide quality work on time to global clients? Based on the story of Ayesha, a female software engineer in Pakistan, we will consider the ways remote work is changing the world, and your business. Please join us to discuss the obstacles facing remote workers and employers, how to redefine what it means to “work”, and the new opportunities available to workers worldwide in this borderless economy.
http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_IAP8266
