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Leading Pakistani Women in Corporate World

Empowering women is crucial for the progress and development of any society

UAE is a country that believes in gender equality and renders equal rights for women. A safe environment, an inherent respect for women and ample job opportunities have attracted many women to the UAE work force. Within the Government, women hold some senior positions and portfolios. Every year Women’s day is celebrated with much enthusiasm in UAE reminding us that women now have a voice at every platform. The role of women in society is ever changing and they form an integral part of the workforce. Empowering women is crucial for the progress and development of any society. When women are empowered, they are more likely to participate in decision-making processes, contribute to economic growth, and be agents of positive change in and around their communities.

Beverley D’Cruz

General Manager for the Middle East and Pakistan Business

Beverley moved to Dubai in 2007 from Pakistan to start an exciting career with a multinational food chain, in her 17 years’ career with the same organization, she worked in different roles and regions such as Canada and London.

Working in Dubai is a unique and rewarding experience with a melting pot of cultures. People from the world over live and work here. This diversity can provide a rich cultural experience and the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds. Her team itself has 15 different nationalities, which bring a rich diversity of thought and experience. Along with this Dubai is a dynamic city with leaders who are visionary and aspire for greatness. This unlocks bold thinking and opportunities for business that are limitless and this is hugely exciting.

Beverley sees a promising future for the women in the workforce, with increasing opportunities, recognition, and support for women to thrive and succeed in their careers. Some of the changes are significant and may take time to realise.

“As more efforts are made to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we can expect to see more women in leadership positions. Companies are recognising the value of having diverse leadership teams and are actively working towards achieving gender balance at the top.”

Efforts to address and close the gender pay gap are gaining momentum. With increased awareness and advocacy for equal pay for equal work, we can expect to see progress in reducing disparities in wages between men and women in the workforce. The future of work is likely to be more flexible, with remote work options, flexible hours, and other arrangements that can benefit women who often juggle multiple responsibilities such as caregiving and work. This flexibility can help women better balance their work and personal lives.

Organisations and governments are increasingly investing in programs and initiatives aimed at empowering women in the workforce through mentorship, training, leadership development, and other support systems. These efforts will help women advance in their careers and reach their full potential.

As the benefits of diversity in the workplace become more apparent, there will be a growing emphasis on creating inclusive work environments that value the unique perspectives and contributions of women. Companies that prioritize diversity and gender equality will be better positioned to attract and retain top talent.

As the first woman GM for Yum in the Middle East Beverley is navigating new territories. Many parts around the world where traditional gender roles and cultural norms may still dictate that women should not hold high-ranking positions. This can create barriers in communication and engagement, as well as perceptions about a woman’s ambition or communication style differing from those of her male counterparts.

Despite advancements in gender equality, women continue to face obstacles in climbing the corporate ladder at the same pace as men. This lack of representation creates a shortage of role models and allies for women in leadership positions.

Beverley sees her role as an opportunity to serve as a role model and mentor for other aspiring women leaders, helping them navigate and succeed in their careers. Navigating these challenges requires her to be resilient, proactive, and strategic in her leadership approach. By breaking stereotypes, fostering inclusivity, and championing diversity, Beverley aims to create a more equitable and supportive environment for women in the workplace.

Fauzia Kehar

Managing Director and Division Counsel Middle East, North Africa & Pakistan

Fauzia moved to Dubai in 2009 taking up an opportunity with the UAE franchise of a multinational bank, having joined them in 2006, in Pakistan.

Dubai, for Fauzia has been a beautiful journey so far, of being amidst the land of the dunes and finding people, friends, colleagues who then became a family for her in a home away from home. She has been fortunate to be able to experience consistency across the board at the workplace regardless of the jurisdiction one is stationed at working for a multinational bank.

Fauzia has had the opportunity to learn and grow whilst being based in Dubai and covering legal services for Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan franchises. Dubai allowed her a safe and unfettered platform to develop her career as a lawyer and as a professional.

Furthermore, it provided her access to a multicultural workforce thereby enabling her to learn from people bearing experiences from various different backgrounds, skill sets and experiences.

Hailing from a somewhat conservative family of landowners, and stepping out to do a job which made her travel extensively, leave her home country for work and permanently establish herself outside of Pakistan was not a career path other women in her family had previously pursued. There was initial resistance and dissuasion within the family at the idea. She has over the course of her career journey, learnt to block out the noise and follow her own heart and instincts. Not easy, there is a bit of guilt (perhaps letting down others with a different viewpoint) but one grows to learn to push through and persevere.

Fauzia says “No one person can develop and grow in isolation You have to build on your brand and enhance your network.” She has been fortunate in having the support and help of many seniors and peers in guiding her through her career. She is proud to acknowledge that her Bank has already set the trend in giving Wall Street the first female CEO running a major financial institution thereby shattering the myth of the so called glass ceiling.

Fauzia would like to think that women compete with their male counterparts on an equal basis and that the same factors that apply to a man in making him successful would also apply to a woman — therefore be it family support, hard work, risk taking abilities or any other aspects that enhance an individual’s career journey, each aspect is broadly under the same category that would apply to both genders, albeit the approach in managing challenges associated with it may vary. She also goes on to say “Do not be anxious about what’s to come — block out the noise and continue following your heart” in order to be successful.

Eventually, Fauzia would like to branch out to being able to do more community based work in addition to continuing her journey as a corporate professional.

Uzma Khan

Group Head, Operational Risk

Uzma is a massive animal lover she has been helping a number of animal welfare communities in Dubai by feeding cats; support their TNR and rehoming dogs / cats who are abandoned. Stepping into her home you see her passion coming to life 5 cats and a dog. A welcoming home not only for the animals but family and friends alike.

Uzma moved to Dubai, May 2006, from Karachi where she worked in a multinational Bank, she transferred to Dubai, her children were very young then. Since moving to Dubai Uzma has worked in five institutions (all banks), her overall experience has been amazing. She says she is blessed, the support she received as a woman was very positive. Dubai as a city, culturally and professionally allows her to have the best of both worlds.

With her varied experience Uzma found that the environments differed in each institution she worked in. Generally, it is a fast paced and demanding environment; with a strong emphasis on customer service and regulatory compliance. She finds working in Risk Management, and the continued focus on areas such as cyber security, fraud and technology risk, she finds that a lot of effort is made to conform to regulatory requirements both of the UAE regulators and those governed by their own regulators abroad.

When Uzma started her working career in a bank, after returning from England, she found it different as being brought up in England she had not seen the difference between girl and boy. However, she realized things were different here compared to back home. The emphasis was on marriage and settling down rather than on pursuing a career.

Uzma had to work harder and prove to management that she was serious about her career and was as good at what she does. It wasn’t an easy task putting in twice the amount of hard work. Uzma attributes her success to her ability to administer and manage multiple deliveries/tasks and have strong follow-through. She also feels that it comes naturally to women, “by default being a mother, a sister or a wife you are always juggling responsibilities; also our ability to be forward thinkers — always planning ahead and preparing — in certain strategic roles I think this is key”. Uzma also says that she has been lucky to have support of her parents initially and then her husband to help her throughout her career.

Uzma would like to be on a few Boards as a Director as she believes that she has a lot to give back, by guiding or mentoring the younger generation on how to be more resilient and successful as working women.

Gender bias still exists; many organizations have labelled some roles - they may do it unintentionally but it does exist. However, globally there is much more focus on women and their rights in the workforce. Specifically, in the UAE, Uzma believes more changes will be seen or made such as having mandatory women in leadership roles, mandatory alignment to pay with no gender discrimination and flexible working hours.

Falak Jalil

Vice-President Marketing

Falak moved to Dubai in 2013. Initially, Falak felt out of her comfort zone, but was able to quickly gain her rhythm. It has been an amazing experience for her. From Dubai she has had the privilege of managing countries beyond the Middle East from Russia to Turkey to Nigeria, so the depth of experience has been invaluable.

Falak likes to find a balance between work and her family time, although she says that is the toughest thing to do and very rarely is one able to strike the perfect balance. She just tries to prioritize tasks or moments that are important. She says that she asks herself, whether this job, role, task be important in five years, 10 years? And more often than not, the moments with kids win out — the first concert, Sports Day(s), International Days etc.

Falak, anticipates more women joining the workforce after having babies (subject to good maternity policies, of course), more women in senior management and C-suite roles and overall, a more equitable ratio of men and women in the workforce. Falak has faced her fair set of challenges, from people having preconceived notions about her abilities to deliver a job, to people underestimating her, to even not getting selected for roles because of her gender. However, her advice to girls joining the work place is You’re good enough — don’t let people have you second guessing yourself.

Falak feels there is no given formula to what makes a woman successful, but some of the things that help drive her are knowing herself, being confident, having a support system, having friends who are cheerleaders, having a drive and motivation.

The work environment varies from company to company, multinational to local, but overall people are competitive but collaborative, as well.

Falak currently enjoys her work and the people she works with and till she does she will continue. Once the she stops loving it, it’s on to the next project. She would also like to work for herself at some given point in time. Her core strength is building a team, she has been blessed with, she feels you can’t move up without having people supporting and working with you.

Sarah Qazi

Business Unit Head Home Care

Sarah moved to Dubai September 2013, her experience moving to Dubai has been a wonderful — fulfilling, challenging & a brilliant learning curve. It has helped her develop different skills especially with respect to the very diverse environment, she works in. The dynamics in Dubai are very different compared to any other country in the world. The diversity in terms of the different nationalities you come across, just teaches you so much.

Understanding their respective cultures, work ethics and so much more. In her core team, she works with over 20 nationalities. She loves the curiosity her team has for everyone’s cultures. She tries to share Pakistani mangoes with everyone over the summer as a memorable way to remember Pakistan.

Sarah has been very fortunate to get the right opportunities as a woman, very understanding team members and leaders, she has not faced any challenges as a woman. She does understand this is a privilege and unique and is thankful for it. Most women face many challenges and she commits every day to minimise challenges for women around her. Sarah says “Learning agility, empathy, being decisive & problem-solving skills” are some of the key skills that have contributed to her successful career. She feels that young girls shouldn’t worry, things work out and hence enjoy life along the way. Sarah aspires to be Head of country for an organisation from a career lens. She is very passionate about mental health and would like to learn about and champion mental health in the workplace.

Sarah feels that there are different levels of awareness across various organisations — there is still gender preference in some roles in some organisations. But we are moving forward. Sarah sees women bringing in so much empathy, compassion, creativity, and capacity to the workplace. This creates a formula for success for them as well as the organisation. Sarah says that with more awareness & equitable opportunity to excel and succeed without compromising on their family aspirations will be the change that will encourage women to drive the helm.

Sarah tries to dedicate quality time to her kids in the evenings. She sees wasted resources as a big problem in society — as a family they try to find a circular way of using their resources and not generating waste. The staff in Dubai and around her neighbourhood and community is her and her families focus.