Defying odds and debunking myths

Make-up artist Naghma Aqeel says she seeks to train women from underdeveloped areas

KARACHI:

Naghma Aqeel is a talented woman from Karachi who has showcased her talents in various fields. From teaching to being a successful entrepreneur, as well as a social worker, Naghma has been instrumental in empowering women.

It is a social misconception that fashion industry is not considered suitable for women but Naghma proved that nothing can be an obstacle in front of true dedication if the women decide to make their mark in any field, by working in the fashion industry as a freelance make-up artist.

Naghma says that, she realized soon after her marriage that she needs to get herself acknowledged to by doing something therefore she took training as a Montessori director and taught children at a Montessori for five years.

In the meantime, Naghma had the opportunity to witness the work at a friend’s sister’s beauty salon. She says that since women are naturally attached to beauty, she also decided to utilize her free time to be trained and practice as a beautician.

There she had the idea to open her own beauty salon, she added. She says that the saying that every successful man has a woman behind his success is not reserved for only men because she had her husband behind her success as well.

“My husband has given me full support in expressing my abilities at every stage of my life,” says Naghma. She said that her family and society gave her the impression that the field of beautician or fashion industry wasn’t a respectable field but her husband encouraged on every step and gave the confidence that she can make her identity in this field.

It was when Naghma set up her own beauty salon with an investment of Rs 200,000 but she had to work hard to keep the business going. She says that sometimes she would come home after working all day and get a call from a client that they were at her salon and she had to go back to attend them.

Naghma believes that it is the ordinary clients who become the major ones one day. Soon her salon became famous in her circle of friends and family and this experience went good for her.

Naghma’s husband is a professional chef so he had the opportunity to work in Dubai in 2000. Naghma accompanied him to Dubai and became able to work under a contract with a firm which worked for the Bollywood and Lollywood fashion industry.

This gave Naghma the opportunity to work for the leading stars of Pakistan, India, Middle East and Western fashion industry and major fashion events. Naghma’s husband returned back to Pakistan after completing his contract while Naghma stayed in Dubai for another two years to complete the contract. On her return to Pakistan, Naghma continued to work as a freelance make-up artist. She says that during her work, she had to visit remote and underdeveloped areas of Pakistan.

“I also witnessed the suburbs of Karachi where there was a common denominator that all the burden of social and economic hardships was being borne by women,” said Naghma. The areas where there is water shortage, the women have to walk several miles to fetch water apart from doing the house chores.

Seeing this, Naghma began to help these women by installing hand pumps in different areas. Naghma’s motivation behind the welfare work was to earn the blessings for the deceased in her family but later.

However, when Naghma’s friends heard about how the women of Sindh have to face the troubles in fetching water and they also can alleviate their hardships with a little expense, they also joined Naghma in this mission, which expanded its scale.

So now, Naghma also guides her friends and family about the areas which need to be addressed to relieve the residents with provision of water. Naghma actively works for empowering the visually impaired people in Pakistan and is associated with BINAI as a volunteer and advisor.

She grooms and trains blind girls and women to build their confidence and improve their personality. According to Naghma, awareness and consciousness is very important for the empowerment of women in Pakistan and women’s awareness is the only guarantor for their empowerment.

As Naghma pursues her mission, she seeks to educate women of the families who move to Karachi for employment from underdeveloped areas and urban slums, on how they can look after the health of their children and themselves, make your work easier and live their life with a purpose.

“As a make-up artist, I’ve learned that it’s up to women to decide what position they can achieve in a field,” says Naghma. She says there are all kinds of good and bad people in every fields of the society but the women can make earn respect on their own.

Naghma advises the women that if they want to acquire a position in any field, it is necessary for them to choose a field according to their abilities succeed on the basis of hard work and dedication.

This story is part of a weekly series that seeks to bring to light the unsung heroes of Karachi - the hawkers, traders, doctors, teachers, engineers, lawyers and daily-wage labourers. It is they who make Karachi the city of lights.