Over the past few years, worldwide figures depicting women representation in various professional fields have been grossly eye opening. Be it the medical sector or the glam-verse of cinema, women remain a significant minority. In Hollywood alone, only 16 per cent of women have been part of top-grossing movies made in the past couple of years. Therefore, any change to make noise for the under-represented is welcome; it makes even more sense when that noise is made in Pakistan. Now in its second year, the Pond’s Miracle Journey has been doing just that, and that too, with utmost panache.

Held on a breezy Saturday night against the backdrop of the resplendent and magnanimous Mohatta Palace Museum, the Pond’s Miracle Gala was a grand affair marked by elegance, great music and tonnes of celebrity appearances. The red carpet was flooded with fluttering gowns, power suits, traditional saris and teetering heels. Shehla Chatoor, being one of the ten mentors, was a popular choice on the red carpet as was Sania Maskatiya.

Dressed to impress, these 100 miraculous women made their way to the sprawling, palatial lawns, where their awards sat pretty on round tables awaiting their presence. Host Alyy Khan, at his poised best, welcomed these luminaries, from all walks of life, on stage following an introductory video that gave audiences a peek into their struggles - for some life had been a tough call for simply creating an opportunity for themselves; for others it was a fight trying to get past the glass ceiling. Yet they had come out strong, being true role models for generations to come. An interesting addition to the set up was a man-sized projector screen displaying heartfelt messages, for the honourees, from their loved ones.

As opposed to being a mere favour in response to the lack of events that recognize women, the PMJ gala was a night to celebrate and be celebrated. Up and coming singer Uzair Jaswal mesmerized the lovely ladies with his soulful performance but it was Hadiqa Kiyani’s acoustics that had everyone besotted. In between guitar riffs and soothing melodies came a gorgeous display of high fashion in Shehla’s mélange of bridal outfits and Nadia Hussain’s rather cheeky selfie moment with her ten mentees. However, the highlight of the night was artist/writer Muniba Mazari and her heart-warming speech.

"Every morning I wake up with a big smile on my face and sit on my wheelchair, in front of the mirror, reminding myself that I am the hero of my story and heroes never give up," she said to roaring applause. Muniba’s is an awe-inspiring story. Left to dwindle by a loved one post a car accident that rendered her to life in a wheelchair, Muniba is the perfect example of success against all odds. Even with no movement in her legs for over nine years now, she has touched upon a cross section of women, motivating them to rise above expectations, has churned out thought-provoking artwork and has raised a beautiful son - one she hopes would grow into a real man, who understands the value of a woman.

Pond’s has set a great tradition in motion, honouring women – under-represented and undervalued – across different disciplines, and it’s one that is a result of a lot of thought and hard work. "The 100 women selected are by and large unsung heroes and the idea is to celebrate the soft strength of women, their quiet resilience as well as their elegant determinism," said Raheel Pasha, Director Personal Care at Unilever and one of the brains behind the initiative. "A gala event is an opportunity for them to experience the glare of the arc lights, the red carpet and for media to have 100 aspirational stories every year. The mentors, who have to be fairly well known and at the top of their game, are selected via a public nomination and an online poll, who then select their own list of 10 inspirational women each."

While Pond’s efforts are commendable, there will always be speculation on selection criteria. Pakistan has witnessed a number of women from the lower income groups break barriers and delve into fields that defy the societal definition of a successful woman, including the likes of Ghulam Fatima, Parveen Saeed and Mai Dhai. PMJ’s focus, it seems, has mostly been on the corporate sector, designers and popular media. This year’s list however expanded to include Federal Drug Inspector Muneeza Khan, philanthropist Sabina Khatri and Zar Aslam, the founder of the Pink Rickshaw Initiative.

Hopefully next year’s miraculous hundred would resonate even more diversity for PMJ seems to be on the right path with the right intention. However, consistency is of utmost importance when it comes to an initiative like this; it’s imperative to set a benchmark for future recognition of women. And often commercial brands tend to deviate attention based on changes in brand strategy. But Raheel Pasha has assured that they aim "to stay course".