Four leading Pakistani companies commit to women’s workplace empowerment

K Electric, National Foods, Engro Corporation and Standard Chartered have partnered with entrepreneurial innovator, CIRCLE Pakistan, to embark on a program that commits to empowering women in the workplace starting September 21, 2017.

Elevate Pakistan is a program and advocacy campaign created by CIRCLE Pakistan, a social enterprise focused on increasing women’s participation in the economy. CIRCLE Pakistan is founded by Sadaffe Abid, former COO and CEO of Kashf Foundation, a leading micro-finance organisation in the country. Over 1,000 individuals have publicly pledged to the #ElevatePak, a pledge aimed at increasing women’s visibility in professional life.

A key portion of Elevate Pakistan is the Elevate Program in collaboration with the four major companies listed above. Starting with a kick off session on the inauguration day, CIRCLE will mentor and lead a group of 20 women strategically selected to benefit from industry experts including  Sima Kamil, CEO of UBL and Dr. Severine Minot from Habib University.

The four corporations participating in the Elevate Program represent major industry leaders in Pakistan. Each of the companies is led by male CEOs, a testament to Elevate’s goal in incorporating male allies in the pathway to women’s empowerment.

The commitment to women’s empowerment by Engro Corporation, National Foods, Standard Chartered and K-Electric is a major milestone in Pakistan’s business community. As women rights in Pakistan progress, a commitment from heavy-hitting corporations indicates a crucial step forward for professional women working here.

Undoubtedly, Pakistani women’s participation in the workplace is growing.  But we need to devise a strategy that helps them grow and progress with their organisations’ support, address challenges they may face in the workplace and provides a road-map to higher female workplace participation. The Elevate program addresses United Nation’s sustainable development goals five, eight and 17 that are internationally recognised markers of progress.

CIRCLE Pakistan, along with the four participating organisations, is available for further clarifications on this initiative.