Table of Contents
Never underestimate the power of women because people who can bring life back to earth after God can change their destiny. Women are undoubtedly compassionate, but they should not be confused with vulnerability or disability. Her first and most important version is the mother version, which truly deserves the appreciation of the world. However, it is also versatile. In the beginning, the most suitable career for women was teaching or medicine, but times have changed.
All over the world, women not only play a role in educating the country but also play a vital role in improving its economic situation. We should thank them for their honesty and commitment. Here in our country, after 16 years of education, there is no additional education or career plan; it is necessary to marry girls. We believe that there is a very sacred bond that provides security, strength, and loyalty to married people and the entire society.
However, it is unreasonable to regard it as the end of future learning horizons and career paths. Pakistani women have undoubtedly stepped out of the framework of life and have performed well in many fields, such as journalism, philanthropy, IT, engineering, and politics.
They proved themselves to be great mothers and essential and prestigious citizens. Today, we want to emphasize the achievements and contributions of Pakistani women in business and technology. Here are 20 powerful ladies of Pakistan. Although there is no special arrangement, they are equally outstanding in contribution.
Powerful Business Ladies: Jehan Ara
Please focus on the IT world; let us turn your attention to Jehan Ara, the brain behind PASHA (Pakistan Software Association). The company’s primary goal is to develop and protect Pakistan’s software industry. It also cooperates with multinational companies to provide customers with the best software products and services.
Jihan Ara is not only actively serving as the President of PASHA but also has worked in markets, communications, and media in Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and the Far East for nearly three years. She is an entrepreneur, speaker, motivator, and writer in many industry publications. She is launching a “virtual women’s network” project that will help educated women interact with employers and other professional workers, allowing them to explore the rapidly evolving world of information technology.
Powerful Business Ladies: Rabia Garib
There is Rabia Garib, the next lady on our list, simple and workaholic. She is the CEO of Toffee TV. Toffee TV is an excellent educational aid that can help children learn through stories, songs, and many exciting activities in Urdu. Besides, she co-founded Rasala Publications, a company that focuses on the IT business. Won the LadiesFund Pioneer Award because it is a model and successful work in Pakistan.
She believes in hard work and that persistence is the key to success. Explain that women should not engage in work or entrepreneurship, thinking they will become millionaires, but working daily without losing concentration is the most important thing. She worked around the clock by herself, tried her best to make a mark in the world, and did everything possible to help.
Powerful Business Ladies: Sabeen Mahmood
Sabine Mahmood drew the same characteristics from her mother’s courage and constant struggle to defend the truth. She was the president of TIE (Indian Entrepreneur) and now owns T2F, the second-floor cafe. Their approach to life and the situation in Pakistan is entirely different. She firmly believes in activism. T2F Cafe is located in Karachi.
The platform encourages healthy discussions and debates on current issues in Pakistan. The audience participated in many cultural events, and writers and poets gathered. It also organizes art exhibitions to provide people with physical and mental health benefits. Sabine was once a part of the corporate world. It focuses more on building awareness among people and educating them through the company.
T2FCafé is a “state of peace” project. It was created and operated by the same company, Sabine. This company promotes conflict resolution and non-profit organizations that discuss political activities (mainly in the fields of art, culture, science, technology, and defense) through different cultural commitments. Some other projects that are at peace include “Faraar,” “Science ka Adda,” etc.
Powerful Business Ladies: Salina Haroon
Salina Haroon plays a vital role in telecommunications and technology. She is the editor-in-chief of “Pakistan CIO” magazine. CIO is the world’s leading business technology magazine. It is printed in many countries around the world, including Pakistan.
In addition, she is the founder and director of Communicated Collective, a marketing company that deals with small and medium enterprises in Pakistan and abroad. The company is committed to establishing strategic technology companies. It also focuses on public relations, the influence of social media on news companies, and improving Pakistan’s international status.
Salina believes in exploring and participating in different seminars, conferences, etc. It helps to understand the current situation and take corresponding measures. She is part of the EISENHOWER scholarship.
Next, we will focus on the lady who opened the first clothing store in Islamabad, Samina Fazil. She is the owner of Mishas Group. It was established in 1989 as a small company engaged in the children’s clothing business. Her family’s initial investment was only 100,000 rupees. Samina has little experience in the male-dominated industry and, therefore, did not realize her dream.
Powerful Business Ladies: Samina Fazil
She needs qualified tailors, raw materials, starting sites, etc. But no one is teaching him the basics or giving him proper guidance. Therefore, as soon as time passed, she finally 1991 opened her store on Mori Main Road in Rawalpindi. She began to promote her clothes by preparing brochures, participating in exhibitions, distributing clothing on TV shows, and publishing photographs in newspapers.
The strategy worked, and the business flourished. Because of her hard work and determination, we have “Mishas Collections” in front of us today, which provides inspiration and guidance for many other women. And don’t forget that she is still actively serving as the chairman of Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Since the energy crisis is a big problem in Pakistan, we have a meaningless and intelligent lady, Nida Farid, on the list. She holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Are you already a fan?
Well, wait there. She specializes in aircraft manufacturing, wind power, energy, and maintenance. With all her knowledge and enthusiasm, she returned to her home country, Pakistan, and started her project, “Karachi Energy Conservation Awareness-Tips for Large Savings.”
Powerful Business Ladies: Nida Farid
He believes that 70% of the energy crisis can be solved by educating and propagating the upper class in Karachi. She explained that turning off the lights and fans to reduce energy consumption is one thing, but buying the right equipment is equally important.
Choosing the right equipment can save the most energy. She believes that the energy crisis must be dealt with immediately and sincerely because energy problems may lead to the closure of industries and affect the employment of many people. It’s not over yet. This chain reaction leads to poverty, illiteracy, and many other social problems. Their efforts are truly remarkable and worthy of recognition!
Roshaneh Zafar is the executive director of the Kashf Foundation. The institution educates and subsidizes women working in rural areas to improve their economic situation. She studied at Yale University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After leaving the World Bank, she founded the Kashf Foundation. The Kashf Foundation is a national project from KPK, Sindh, to the current Balochistan. The foundation provides a value-driven solution for families in poverty-stricken areas, and its main focus is to provide microfinance to small businesses and female-led startups. The company is known for its excellent service, and its merits are nothing more than Roshaneh Zafar. She firmly believes in the power of women and provides women with all growth opportunities.
Powerful Business Ladies: Roshaneh Zafar
At first, the great lady was just a news anchor and reporter for Indian TV. She is the host of “News Review.” The speech focused on current affairs and discussions with various political figures, ambassadors, and analysts. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Department of Symbolic Systems at Stanford University, where she studied human-computer interaction. She is a member of the “American Code” and has become part of several notable projects such as “Honolulu Answers” and “Urban Social Media Handbook.”
Powerful Business Ladies: Sheba Najmi
She was also Yahoo Mail’s chief designer for seven years. This talented woman is the founder of Tech for Change, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together entrepreneurs, developers, and designers to help eliminate most of Pakistan’s citizenship problems. In addition, in her own words, she is “mainly interested in enhancing user or product experience. Ideally, they are interested in mission-centric social enterprises that focus on changing the world.”
Mother and businesswoman are women who deal with two worlds. However, she believes that motherhood is undoubtedly the more difficult task of these two jobs, but most importantly, managing both jobs simultaneously is the biggest challenge. Like all other aspiring graduates,he started looking for work after earning an MBA. She conducted her first interview with the CEO of a small multinational company, who also knew her grandfather. It sounds like it’s already in your pocket, right? Well, there is a fact you will never understand. The CEO knew her grandfather and that “the girl in her family got married early and became a housewife.”
Powerful Business Ladies: Salma Jaffri
She realized she was a female at that moment, so she would not be hired. But soon after, she found a job in the Pakistan department of “Deloitte & Touche.” Today, she is world-renowned for her successful “content marketing,” which is the term she uses for herself.
She is the founder and CEO of WordPL.net, a website that mainly markets content that young entrepreneurs want to spread on social media. Her expertise includes blogging, content writing, social media marketing, planning, online video, and marketing consulting.
Kulsoom Lakhani is the CEO of i2i (Invest2innovate). The company recognizes emerging entrepreneurs in Pakistan, trains them through a four-month training program, and finally connects them with investors. It encourages and motivates entrepreneurs and helps them settle down. The company began operations in Pakistan in 2011 and intends to expand to other countries.
Before joining i2i, Kalsoom also served as the general manager of Social Vision. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in External Affairs and Middle East Events from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in International Affairs/Conflict Resolution from the George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs.
Powerful Business Ladies: Kalsoom Lakhan
Her achievements include serving as an assistant ambassador for SandBox and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers. The CHUP (Revitalization of Pakistan) Foundation aims to raise awareness of Pakistan’s issues. Her awards continue as World Economic Forum, Aspen Thought Festival, American Chamber of Commerce, US State Department, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, and Global Entrepreneurship Conference.
Another apt name on the list of entrepreneurs is Maria Omar, the founder of the “Women’s Digital League.” She is a schoolteacher. She resigned after being refused maternity leave. Later, I started writing for another lady I found through the well-known job portal “Rozee.pk”. One thing led to another; the employer’s profile office was located. Then she realized she could also contact customers directly and help herself better. This has become the origin of its humble content-creation business. She opened her oDesk profile and eliminated some writing work from her family. Gradually, it became what we call the “Women’s Digital League.”
Powerful Business Ladies: Maria Umar
The company provides all educated young women with opportunities to find jobs in the digital world. The key is actively using social media to help writers connect with customers worldwide. The company expanded to the Digital Alliance, Pakistan’s digital workforce platform, to provide digital solutions for individual and corporate clients. She firmly believes in empowering women and often plays a role in showing her beliefs.
After getting a decent title, few think about others, not ourselves. Here, we want to mention a person whose education benefits her and the disadvantaged. Saba Gul holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Additionally, she studied computer science and economics. She is a successful entrepreneur and runs a non-profit organization, Popinjay (previously known as BLISS), which helps Pakistani girls and their families living below the poverty line receive an education.
Powerful Business Ladies: Saba Gul
They study English and Urdu, math, skills, and entrepreneurship courses. These girls have received training in designing and making handbags. These investment portfolios become a source of income and pay at least 4-6 months of tuition. It is also part of other projects. She was a public service researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Sri Lanka, where she worked on cheap solar lighting to help tsunami refugees, which benefits humankind.
Maheen is the CEO of Al Falah Investment Management Company GHP and has been with investment companies for 14 years. Rahman is the CEO of IGI. During her tenure, her assets quickly doubled within a year. There is a remarkable achievement. When Alfalah acquired GHP IGI in 2013, Maheen was appointed as CEO to continue her advancement in asset management. Due to her success was shortlisted in the 2015 “Forbes” magazine “40 under 40” Emerging Executive Women List.
Powerful Business Ladies: Maheen Rahman
Abdulrahman took over as CEO of IGI Funds in 2009 and quickly changed the business by doubling the assets under management within a year. The 15% return on equity starkly contrasts the industry’s recovery, which fell 7% in the same year. Later, Alfalah acquired GHP Investment Management IGI in 2013, and Mahen became the company’s CEO.
Rahman’s success is even more impressive when considering women’s challenges in the workplace. Although the situation is gradually improving, Pakistan still has the lowest proportion of women workers (25%) (52% on average) among the major Asian economies.
In the fourth category of people 40 under 40 in 2018, Momina was nominated as the 40th graduate of Stony Brook University under 40 and was recommended as a civil servant and activist category. Momina graduated in Biomedical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics from Stony Brook University in 2015. Previously, Momina Rong was one of the 100 influential and shocking women on the BBC’s 2017 global list due to public comments on topics such as cyberbullying and depression.
Powerful Business Ladies: Momina Mustehsan
Music and social activist Momina Mustehsan had an overnight success after her debut on the Pakistani music show Coke Studio, where she sang with the famous artist Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. This talented singer used her reputation and presence on social media (she is one of the most influential people in Pakistan. At the 44th Annual Conference Gala, Momina was recognized as a 40-year-old. Among the 40 graduates of Stony Brook University, the most desirable alumni) are under the age of 40.
The talented Pakistani makeup artist Nabila ranked first. She thrives in today’s fashion industry and opened her first salon in 1986. Nabila worked hard and now has a men’s and nail salon. She is a talented artist who has brought innovation to the fashion industry. Nabila’s makeup career started in a temporary 8 x 8 salon near her servant’s house. In the 1980s, she charged clients 30 rupees for haircuts.
Powerful Business Ladies: Nabila Maqsood
She was 11 years old when she first cut the hair of friends and family. Today, she is the most international makeup artist, stylist, and idol. Nabila also launched her own cosmetics brand, Zero Makeup. Her most popular product is a facial palette, and she even reported on the set of the long-running American medical TV show The Anatomy of Gray.
Powerful Business Ladies: Muniba Mazari
Muniba Mazari, Pakistan’s only wheelchair TV presenter, is part of Forbes’s 2016 Media and Marketing category 30 under 30. On the entire issue of gender inequality and discrimination, Mazari has always been the spokesperson for women, men, girls, and boys across Pakistan, determined not to give up and overcome difficulties. In December 2016, the United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women’s Agency) appointed Muniba Mazari as Pakistan’s first goodwill ambassador.
Shaheena Waqar was born in Risalpur and established an organization called “The women’s Aid Foundation” in 1997 with two other friends. Through the organization, she was able to help women in prison by teaching them different skills and how to do them. Once they return to the real world, they can feed themselves.
Powerful Business Ladies: Shaheena Waqar
She believes that her work helps build a sense of community among these women who have been convicted of misdemeanors, sentenced to jail, and are now sad and lost. By providing them with computer courses, sewing centers, and entertainment venues, the solemn attitude can stimulate them to rebuild their lives. Her career is noble and influential, and we should all be proud of having someone like her.
Masrat Misbah is a versatile and dynamic personality. She is an outstanding entrepreneur, esthetician, and philanthropist. She strongly desires to make meaningful contributions and is willing to make positive changes to the lives of people who have experienced arson incidents. Therefore, she established an NGO that eventually became the Depilex Smile Again Foundation in 2005.
Powerful Business Ladies: Masrat Misbah
Because of her valuable contributions to various areas of life, she once again served as President of Depilex Smile. She was the first Pakistani woman to receive an Italian government Women’s Day award for her courage and dedication. In April 2010, she also won the “Presidential Pride Performance Award.” In addition, she was also invited as an important guest to give various lectures on beauty, charity, and social work at many universities across the country.
Powerful Business Ladies: Sidra Qasim
Leather shoes are handmade by Markhorin Okara and have been purchased worldwide since 2010. The brand’s trademark is the endangered Markhor wild goat breed, found initially in the northern and central mountains of Pakistan and Central Asia.
The outstanding export event results from the hard work of two young entrepreneurs, Sidra Qasim and Waqas Ali. In eight years, they successfully found local talents in the shoe industry, established their capabilities according to international standards, and found a market for their products in countries other than Pakistan.
Powerful Business Ladies: Arusha Imtiaz
Arusha Imtiaz, the founder of Edjunction, is an education platform where parents can keep in touch with school teachers and keep abreast of their children’s progress. The Operations Director of Edjunction in Arusha has worked with Franchere and many local and international organizations to provide solutions for every school in Pakistan.
The team actively cooperated with Microsoft, Telenor, Samsung, and several government organizations to operate pilots in schools in different regions. In Pakistan, there are 180,000 schools, of which 80,000 are private, which can accommodate approximately 25 million children. Edjunction specializes in the field. The product has been launched in Dubai, with 200,000 students enrolled in a manipulable market of nearly 500 schools.
The wide range of content listed above proves that women can work and exceed all restrictions and expectations to excel. The two mentioned above are just 20 outstanding women in business and technology because their contributions are worthy of discussion and praise. We applaud all these great Pakistani women, which makes us very proud!
Since 2017, Saba Ghani has been serving as the talented and dedicated chief content writer for Pakistan Tour and Travel & EMHI Solutions. With her exceptional writing skills and in-depth knowledge of the travel industry, she has been instrumental in crafting engaging and informative content that captivates the audience. You can catch her at [email protected] or Twitter
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