“We Have Females in Frontline Roles Traditionally Held by Men,” Chief People Officer at Jazz

Celebrated on the 8^th of March every year, the International Women’s Day is a celebration and acknowledgment of the social, cultural, economic, and political accomplishments of women all around the world. The first gathering that marked a call to action for raising awareness about gender parity occurred over a century ago in 1911. To this day, groups come together across the globe to celebrate and rally for women’s rights.

Among the UN’s SDGs, Gender Equality marks as the fifth goal as it targets to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere. It stresses the importance of empowering women by promoting gender equality as it is not only a basic human right, but also lays a strong foundation across all development areas. There has been massive progress in this regard over the last few decades.

More girls are now attending schools and pursuing higher education than before. A great number of women choose to pursue their careers and work alongside men in male-dominant roles, specifically in the STEM field. Changing social mindsets are adapting to the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Not only are companies striving to empower women to speak out against injustice, they are also acknowledging the value women bring to the table in the form of leadership. However, there is still a lot of room for progress. Even though the number of women in a workplace is almost equal to the number of men, their progress to the top is evidently slower and harder.

Reversing stereotypes such as breaking the all-male line of succession and equal wages is one of the biggest challenges women face in the workplace. According to a study by Harvard Business Review, workplaces that promote gender diversity tend to be more productive as it drives creativity, innovation, and a better connection with the clients.

This Women’s Day, ProPakistani visited the Jazz Headquarters to see first-hand how the organization is creating and nurturing an inclusive and empowering culture. We talked to the Chief People Officer about her vision for the organization, as well as other women leaders at Jazz who are beating the odds by occupying positions traditionally held by men.

Miss Wajida Leclerc, Chief People Officer at Jazz, expressed her delight in being an integral part of one of the first telecom companies that have over 30% of its executive leadership occupied by females. According to her, not only does Jazz promote gender diversity in its work environment, it also has programs focused entirely on attracting the female gender.

The Commercial Experience Manager at Jazz, Amarah Sajjad, sums up the fourteen years of her experience working at Jazz by stating that “the best part of working in a progressive organization is the number of opportunities presented to us regardless of the gender or the background.”

Fatima Nasim, Expert ND Projects at Jazz is hopeful for a bright future at her company as she declares that “the real equity will come once we surpass the gender discussion. All human beings are differently-abled and I feel proud that my organization gives us equal empowerment to excel.”

This struggle to break stereotypes and to celebrate the diverse pool of talent and opportunities that women offer is not specific to one organization but to all groups and individuals alike who care about human rights. The right progress will come only when companies and leaders plan strategies to lift women up and instigate change by being fair and encouraging women.

Let us all ensure to be an integral cog in creating an inclusive environment, irrespective of gender or ethnicity, so that everyone’s voice is heard and their actions are valued. Only then can we rise to achieve our full potential needed to excel.