Our Vision
To steer women to understand their strengths and abilities, and use them to explore and pursue their passions.
Our Mission
To empower women with confidence, courage, and motivation needed to follow their dreams and fulfil their ambitions.
Who we are
Inspiring Women is an organisation that engages, encourages and empowers girls and young women with different skills and opportunities. Through various initiatives, the organisation acts as an integrator and helps girls and young women to step from education to employment, be financially included and kickstart their careers.
Inspiring Women recognises that there are knowledge and access gaps regarding young women and opportunities. By acting as a conduit / systems integrator for young women and opportunities, we endeavour to cover the gap that exists in empowering women and hope to encourage women to become active members of society. In addition, Inspiring Women through its workshops and programs, equips girls and young women with the confidence and skillset they need to pursue their dreams. Our goal is to enable young girls to find their strengths, believe in their abilities and inspire them to pursue their ambitions.
What we do
Inspiring Women collaborates with colleges and universities in Pakistan to provide skills & motivational sessions to young and college going girls. We recognise that there is a disconnect between educational institutions and employers. Inspiring women wishes to bridge this gap by conducting development and skills-based training. These trainings are conducted through workshops/seminars and our internship programs.
The organisation also focuses on increasing the inclusion of young women in the financial sphere by imparting knowledge and teaching simple yet practical steps that allow women to gain a financial identity. Inspiring Women conducts skill-based trainings that enable women to increase their capacity, to break cultural / gender barriers and increase their access and build their know-how in finance.
The organisation also conducts skill and capacity building workshops for girls and young women looking to kickstart their careers. The idea is to provide trainings that enable young girls to overcome the many obstacles they face that hinder their growth and potential as well as allowing them to be economically empowered members of society.
Inspiring Women aims for girls and young women to use our platform as a stepping stone towards the direction they wish to take in life!
Why Are We Needed
Pakistan is a developing economy with a low rate of inclusion of women in the economic sphere. For Pakistan to reach its full economic potential and become a global player, certain changes will need to take place. One of the highlighted and most stressed upon prerequisites is an increase in the skill and participation of women in the workforce. It indicated that 36% of employers (across 9 countries) reported that lack of skills causes significant entry-level vacancies. It also points out that education providers, the youth and employers all live in parallel universes as they have little engagement which gives little insight on what they expect from one another. Inspiring Women aims to bridge these gaps between girls/ young women, education institutions and employers.
In addition, women in Pakistan have a very low inclusion in the financial sphere in the world – approximately 7 percent of the women are considered to be financially included. Financial inclusion of women is critical for women to realize their economic rights and for their empowerment. By imparting knowledge and removing barriers to access, Inspiring Women aims to enable women to build a financial identity and be active members of society.
The lack of women in the Pakistani workforce creates a cycle that perpetuates an adverse working environment for women. This absence of participation keeps women from realizing their true potentials and from contributing to society. It is our hope that an increase in women participation in the workforce will not only improve their overall welfare, but also change the way Pakistani society functions; increase its economic prosperity and the manner it will continue to evolve in the future.
Meet The Team
Abida Mukhtar
CEO / Founder
Abida Mukhtar is the Founder and CEO of Inspiring Women, an organisation that engages, encourages and empowers girls and young women with different skills and opportunities. Through various initiatives, the organisation acts as an integrator and helps girls and young women to step from education to employment, be financially included and kickstart their careers.
Ms. Mukhtar is a financial consultant by profession, and brings with her, 12 years of experience in corporate turnaround and restructuring. She has exposure in various sectors – ranging from financial services, retail, healthcare, public sector and agribusiness. Currently, Ms. Mukhtar is the Chief Executive Officer of Super Bird (Pvt) Limited and the Chief Executive Officer at Dar-Es-Salaam Textiles Mills Limited in Lahore. She has also worked as financial Associate for Alvarez and Marsal, in London, United Kingdom.
Ms. Mukhtar earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics with honours from Smith College, USA and a Master’s degree in International Political Economy from London School of Economics, UK.
Khadijah Ajmeri
Communication and Research Coordinator
Khadijah is an aspiring Textile Designer, currently in her Junior Year at Indus Valley School, Karachi. She is passionate about making the world a better place for Women by bridging the gap between talent and opportunities. She is also inclined towards bringing diversity to her work experience hence, joined Inspiring Women Pakistan which directly aligns with her purpose.
Ramsha Javed
Social Media Manager
Ramsha has always been passionate about doing something for the youth of Pakistan. She has pursued her Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities and Social Sciences from Bahria University Islamabad. She opted for Development Studies as her major because the core of the subject harmonized with the domain she wanted for her career. Ramsha’s interest has always been deep and powerful about doing something for those who lack access to basic rights. She has worked at Inventive Leads Pvt. Limited, a career consultancy firm, is currently pursuing free-lancing and is a Social Media Manager at Inspiring Women Pk. Ramsha is a young individual who is trying her best to contribute towards making a better society in every way possible!
Zakhar Habib
Web Developer / Technical Manager
Zakhar Habib is the Web Developer at Inspiring Women and is involved in the graphic designing of the content required and media planning activities carried out at Inspiring Women Pk.
Kinza Javaid
Graphic Designer
I am Kinza Javaid, an inspiring woman with a software engineering degree and a passion for design. Due to the vast experience in the design industry, I have the right skill set to bring all your design dreams into reality. I specialize in creating social media designs and can do anything that I set my mind to! I love to collect shoes and watch movies. In my spare time I am usually looking for design inspirations and how I can further help the community!