Women Leadership Network in Pakistan - Part 2

The Pakistan Women in Leadership Network is part of a broader network of Australia Awards alumnae in South and West Asia who are committed to preserving relationships with Australia and actively promoting and supporting women’s development.

Discover who motivates the most active members of the Australia Awards Women in Leadership Network in Pakistan, as well as the work they do and the improvements they want to see in Pakistan.

1. 1. Misbah Zafar

1.1. Deputy Project Director—Federal Board of Revenue

Creating a tech-savvy public sector is among the changes I want to drive in Pakistan.

Misbah Zafar

1.2. Who inspires you?

• Frida Kahlo
• Anne Frank
• My Mother

1.3. What changes do you want to drive in Pakistan?

I wish to influence economic development and contribute to the establishment of a tech-savvy public sector. Green energy, trade policy reform and execution, and secure borders are among the things I wish to see in Pakistan.

1.4. Tell us more about you?

I was born and nurtured in Quetta in a household where education was valued highly. I am an ardent reader who is typically surrounded by books. In my spare time, I also instruct tennis and am learning to play the guitar.

My interest is working on water and sanitation issues in Pakistan, as well as raising awareness about green energy initiatives, particularly in the construction sector for high-performance building architecture and spatial design.

1.5. Fields of Work

• Trade Facilitation
• Project and Programme Management
• Supply-Chain Management
• Quality Compliance

1.6. Education

• Master of Project Management from the Australian National University, Australia (made possible through an Australia Awards Scholarship)
• Bachelor of Engineering (Textile) from National Textile University, Pakistan

1.7. Social Life – Misbah Zafar

• LinkedIn

2. 2. Isma Sana

2.1. Manager, Strengthening Participatory Local Governance – Oxfam in Pakistan

Changes I want to drive in Pakistan include peaceful co-existence among all the sects including women, youth and minorities.

Isma Sana

2.2. Who inspires you?

In terms of Leadership, Women Empowerment, Politics, Governance, and Human Rights, Benazir Bhutto, Asma Jahangir, Perween Rehman, and Sabeen Mahmud stand out.

Bano Qudsia and Kishwar Naheed have made significant contributions to Urdu literature.

Mother Teresa and Bilquis Edhi, for their humanitarian efforts.

2.3. What changes do you want to drive in Pakistan?

Poverty reduction via local administration, and peaceful coexistence among all faiths (including women, youth, and minorities) through peace and social harmony are among the reforms I wish to see in Pakistan.

2.4. Tell us more about you?

I enjoy volunteering for women’s rights and looking for ways to listen to and assist marginalised women. I’ve lived and travelled throughout Mexico, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and I like the freedom that comes with being single. I am the fourth of six children and presently reside with my mother. One day, I hope to write my autobiography.

2.5. Fields of work

• Program Management
• Business Development
• Social Sector Program Development

2.6. Education

• Master in Environmental Sciences from Fatima Jinnah Women University, Pakistan
• Master in Development Practice from the University of Queensland, Australia (made possible through an Australia Awards Scholarship)

2.7. Social Life – Isma Sana

• LinkedIn

3. 3. Javaria Najeeb

3.1. Manager Communications—Infrastructure Development Authority of Punjab

Workspaces that are more inclusive for women in Pakistan and equal rights and privileges for girls at the grassroots level are among the changes I want to drive in Pakistan.

Javaria Najeeb

3.2. Who inspires you?

• Bilquis Edhi
• Fatima Jinnah
• Mother Teresa
• Indra Nooyi

3.3. What changes do you want to drive in Pakistan?

I aim to promote more inclusive workplaces for women. I also want to encourage change in Pakistan to guarantee that females have equal access to school and other life opportunities at the grassroots level. I also want to raise awareness and sensitise people about mental health conditions including ADHD, autism, OCD, PSD, and depression.

3.4. Tell us more about you?

I am the mother of two active and clever sons. I believe in endurance, resilience, and hard work, and I live by the adage, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

3.5. Fields of work

• Branding
• Marketing
• Leadership
• Educationist
• Social worker

3.6. Education

• Master of Business Administration from Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Pakistan
• Australia Awards Short Course in Business Incubation Management from the University of Queensland, Australia.

4. 4. Khuzama Rizwan Khan

4.1. Development Consultant, Girl Rising Pakistan

I am inspired by my sisters and friends who reinvented themselves with an incredible amount of strength and dignity once they realised they deserve better.

Khuzama Rizwan Khan

4.2. Who inspires you?

My mother, who instils the values of respect, tolerance, and tenacity in me.

My sisters and friends who changed themselves with amazing courage and dignity after realising they deserved more.

The daring women who changed employment opportunities for females in Pakistan, as well as the women in the country’s poorest areas who gave up their own goals but aim to provide a brighter future for their children.

4.3. What changes do you want to drive in Pakistan?

Diversity education and training to promote tolerance and social fairness, social engagement activities for older persons, and environmental sustainability are among the improvements I hope to see in Pakistan.

4.4. Tell us more about you?

I am a person who is active, sporty, and positive. I am a self-confessed gourmet and voracious reader.

4.5. Fields of work

• Women’s Economic Empowerment
• Youth Skills Development
• Education
• Child Protection

4.6. Education

• Master of Development Studies from the University of Melbourne, Australia (made possible through an Australia Awards Scholarship)
• Master of Applied Psychology from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan

4.7. Social Life – Khuzama Rizwan Khan

• LinkedIn

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