By Zahida Awan
Currently, promoting diversity at the workplace is an edge no organization can afford to ignore. Not only do women bring a fresher perspective to the mix, but also a uniqueness of personal experiences and exposures that serve as a resonating force for many other females. Looking back I remember the days when women were stared at and subbed off because of any ideas they brought to the table.
Women all over the world have faced countless challenges and discrimination in a working environment; our voices and thoughts, much like our existence, weren’t held in great regard at decision-making levels. Although, the ideas we presented proved to be successful and brought great prestige to the organization, the recognition we, as women, received remained dismal.
As times changed and women’s rights not just at home, but also at the workplace came to light, organizational trends began to change. Organizations are now keener to break stereotypes to endorse a much more inclusive and diverse workplace for their female employee base.
One such example is of Ufone and PTCL. At PTCL Group, the art of being an equal opportunity employer has been perfectly displayed in the working environment. Conversations that will help break gender stereotypes typical to our society are promoted.
An example of this could be the ‘Pink Club’ for all female employees across the PTCL Group which was established with the sole purpose of giving voice to female employees. It is imperative for us today to have conversations around issues concerning women so we could come up with innovative solutions and forge a better future for them.
Ufone’s interactive platform – Inspire is another successful example of promoting female voices within the organization. This forum gave women a chance to take learnings from inspirational leaders by engaging in dialogues with them, changing mindsets at the workplace, and broaden men’s perspectives to support their female colleagues in their journey.
Corporate trends have changed drastically, the way of work tends to advocate a leadership that is styled around consensus-building, care, and one which is more likely to encourage participation by others.
This is exactly what happens when there is more female representation at the top level – it changes the overall DNA of an organization. Roles at the organizations are shifting and corporate organizations like the PTCL group are creating awareness that roles are not gender-biased and empowering women at the workplace to negotiate leadership roles.
The growth and multitude of experiences and designs a woman brings to a working environment should not be easily overlooked. It provides a plethora of opportunities that in the current day and age would prove to be exponentially profitable for an organization. Therefore, promoting workplace diversity and inclusion is our step forward to bring Pakistan to a global market place, just as Quaid-e-Azam, the father of our great nation said:
“No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners.”
United Nations theme for this year’s International Women’s Day ‘Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World’, serves as a perfect impetus for all organizations to enhance the standing of women at their workplace.
It is a rather fulfilling feeling to see young women working diligently to secure and sustain their roles in leadership positions these days. All it takes is confidence and a little courage to call out bias, challenge inequality, and question stereotypes. I #ChooseToChallenge to commit to helping forge an inclusive world and encourage you to do the same!
Zahida Awan is the Group Chief Legal Officer at PTCL Group.
