#BreakTheBias – must be a year round resolve

women

The International Women’s Day was celebrated like every year on the 8th of March, and a number of activities took place around the world, including in our own country. The corporate sector, which must always remain a change-agent for the cause of women’s rights and empowerment, organised internal company events and outreach activities, to showcase how they stand with women and promote equality and gender diversity at the workplace. While it is definitely a positive sign, celebrating women shouldn’t be confined to a single day and if real change is to be brought about, companies need to invest in programmes which have a sustainable positive impact not only for the women working in the companies, but also on women in the larger society, creating opportunities for self-empowerment for them also.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was #BreakTheBias. Whether deliberate or otherwise, bias is a serious impediment for women to move ahead and grow. Just knowing that bias exists isn't enough. Action is needed on an ongoing basis to level the playing field. Therefore, it can be said that biases cannot be broken in a single day or even a year; rather a systemic change is required as the way forward, demanding a consistent resolve and a collective action approach. It is reassuring to note that there are some companies, who are serving as role models for others, walking the talk and deeply embedding gender equality into their operational philosophy. One such company is foodpanda where all the verticals (business lines) of the company are empowering women in different ways, enabling them to make their own choices and become financially self-sufficient. This is really the key to women empowerment and overcoming biases; creating opportunities for taking up new, equitable, and inclusive roles and income-earning opportunities. How is this being achieved?

Rabia Bibi is an example of strong courageous women who have stepped out of their comfort zone, and become self-sufficient. A mother of five, she is the sole earner of the family, working as a delivery rider. She delivers orders in DHA Lahore where she not only rides but also helps fellow riders with the routes and guides them when they are newly on-boarded. She believes there is nothing a female cannot do and proves this with the work she does. She also motivates other females to come and ride. While talking to her, Rabia said “I love what I do and I don’t feel any kind of shame in choosing a profession which was earlier associated with men only.”

Another rider is Bushra Yameen who works as a part-time rider; as this allows her flexibility to balance her work with her other responsibilities. Though belonging to a conservative family, she enjoys the support and trust of her mother, and is ably supporting the family. She said, “It was very difficult to pursue something like this, but I had to trust myself and take control of my life. I love that I am working hard to earn a living, and I feel proud that now there is nothing in the world which I cannot do.”

Women have been associated with cooking since the beginning of time. However, very few ever imagined that they could make a living out of it as well. Meha Shahid is one woman who thought differently. She is the brains behind ‘Ma’s Bakehouse’, a home-based bakery run by Meha and her mother. She grew up enjoying desserts made by her mother, like delish cakes with a unique flavour. Professionally, she is a graphic designer but always had her heart and soul in baking. After completing her degree in Design and Visual Communications, Meha decided to help her mother build their own brand, and thus was born Ma’s Bakehouse. Together, the mother-daughter duo makes cookies and cakes, and they are the first ones to bring the most delicious flavours of New York styled cookies and Brazilian Brigadeiro fudge cake to town. It was Meha’s vision to recreate what all a cookie can be, so the idea is not just delivering a product but an entire experience.

Considering the influx of deliveries and identifying the need to partner with a brand which can bring about further exposure as well as legitimacy and authenticity, Ma’s Bakehouse decided to sign up on foodpanda as a home chef. Meha Shahid only started her journey with the company a couple of months ago, but her business has already taken off well. Within a short span, she has even managed to expand her business to multiple zones.

While talking to Meha she said, “I do the cookies and my mom does the cakes. The Brigadeiro cake is our top selling item, and it actually takes two days for preparation.” She also said that we want to promote females who want to become self-sufficient and financially independent, which is why the two helpers we have are both females. Currently Meha is playing the role of accountant, social media manager, baker and everything else which comes with being a home chef. She is now poised to further expand the business and open her very own bakery soon. Meha said that this business is her passion and she does everything with a lot of love and wants to have fun in the process as well, and maybe even launch savoury cookies in the future.

Another diverse work role example is Ilsa Aleem, who is the Operations Cluster Lead – North for a pandamart, the online groceries store of the company. Breaking the bias, Ilsa joined just over a year ago as the first female Warehouse Manager, and was one of the pioneers of the Islamabad mart launch. She has contributed significantly to streamlining and digitising on-ground operations in the warehouse and different stores. In her current role, she is leading mart operations in the twin cities, and is keen to continue adding value and be an inspiration for other young females in the organisation.

It is highly encouraging to note that today our women are boldly seizing the opportunity in diverse fields of activity to contribute to the socio-economic growth of the country, while establishing sustainable revenue streams for themselves and achieving financial empowerment. We are well on our way to break the bias!