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
Founder & Executive Director
Abida Mukhtar is the Founder and Executive Director 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 Shareehuddin
Co-founder
Khadijah Shareehuddin is the Co-founder of Inspiring Women. She has been jointly responsible for shaping the organization’s vision, strategy, and day-to-day implementation, ensuring alignment across programs, operations, and outreach.
She was born and brought up in Karachi and has completed her Bachelors in Textile Design from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.
With more than five years of dedicated volunteer work with various global organizations, Ms. Shareehuddin discovered a strong commitment to contributing to society, ultimately transforming her passion into a full-time career.
She affectionately refers to herself as a part-time artist, indulging in occasional creative pursuits using diverse mediums and techniques.
Sehrish Rathore
Director of Operations
Sehrish Rathore is the Director of Operations at Inspiring Women, leading the execution of our key initiatives across Pakistan. With over 7 years of experience and a strong on-ground presence, she has led numerous workshops on financial literacy, career development, and leadership training.
She has also been instrumental in securing multiple partnerships with organizations to strengthen collaboration and expand outreach. Her expertise lies in program coordination, stakeholder engagement, and resource management, ensuring the effective execution of Inspiring Women’s initiatives.
Ms. Rathore holds a B.S. in International Relations and an M.Phil in South Asian Studies from Lahore College for Women University and the University of Punjab, respectively. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring her interests in history, architecture, and anthropology, often through period films, series, and books.
Syeda Uswa Fatima
Marketing Manager
Syeda Uswa serves as the Marketing Manager at Inspiring Women, where she spearheads both on-ground initiatives and dynamic online social media campaigns. Known for her keen eye for trends and content strategy, Uswa has played a pivotal role in expanding the organization’s digital footprint across multiple platforms, significantly increasing reach and engagement.
With a background in Textile Design from University of the Punjab, she brings creativity and visual storytelling into her marketing approach, blending aesthetics with impactful messaging. Prior to her current role, Syeda Uswa was actively involved with AIESEC in Pakistan, where she gained valuable experience in managing large-scale marketing efforts for youth-led programs.