Women make up nearly half of the world’s population, yet they own only 1 per cent of the world’s wealth, have only a 10 per cent share in global income, and occupy just 14 per cent of leadership positions in the private and public sectors.
empowerment
Women make up nearly half of the world’s population, yet they own only 1 per cent of the world’s wealth, have only a 10 per cent share in global income, and occupy just 14 per cent of leadership positions in the private and public sectors. Admit it or not but there are significant differences in labour participation between men and women. According to the statistics of 2013, male employment-to-population ratio was 72.2 per cent, while the ratio for females was lower at 47.1 per cent.
Pakistan is a country where we find a certain dip in its economy due to women’s less contribution in a number of organizations. Sadly, they are not given equal choices and opportunities as compared to men. This eventually leads towards gender discrimination and injustice in a workplace, along with some devastating economic effects on the national level.
Our social norms and the challenges that Pakistani women face in everyday life contribute majorly to poor gender inclusion in the workplace. However, by including women in the workforce, certain organizational goals can be achieved which might benefit the organization and strengthen its standards.
There have been dozens of international studies and surveys that substantiate the countless benefits that women bring to the workplace and the business. While global businesses continue to report considerable gains after putting women in leadership roles, many enterprises in Pakistan seem to be hesitant in doing so, thus causing a huge gender disparity in the workplace.
Luckily, there are many organisations that understand the need of including women in their workforce and how they can benefit in the economic growth of our country. And one such organisation is telecommunication company, Telenor Pakistan, which strongly believes in having an inclusive environment within the company to promote gender diversity. The organisation’s efforts towards building and promoting a gender inclusive work culture have been also recognized on many occasions including the ‘Most Preferred Employer’ award by Rozee.pk, and the ‘Best Place to Work’ award by Pakistan Society of Human Resources Management (PSHRM).
The telecommunication giant not only offers women exciting career opportunities while facilitating them in various ways, but they also promote female education and gender diversity at work through various recurring programmes and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
According to Knut Olav Nyhus Nielsen, the company’s Chief Human Resources Officer, the level of education is a crucial driving force for career growth. “Sadly, the percentage of women who have degree-level education remains less than 4 per cent. This needs to change so women can be an equally important part of an organization. We need to encourage them to go for professional and technical education, such as IT and engineering, fields that males have dominated for long. That is the most important thing to do if we really want the workplace gender gap to shrink,” he added.
“Roughly, Pakistan’s rural women are participating thrice as much in the country’s economic activity as their urban counterparts, which concerns and delights me at the same time. We must look into what’s stopping the urban women from joining the workforce. For me, the reasons behind it could range from lack of technical education and skills, to everyday challenges such as commute, basic facilities, and workplace environment,” shared Mr. Nielsen.
The company even has certain programmes like ‘Naya Aghaaz’ that aims to provide opportunities for women to work in a corporate environment.
“I had to take a temporary break from my career due to some family commitments. During this hiatus, I felt that my professional skills had become outdated compared to the new market requirements. I heard about this programme and how it was helping women to get back to work, updating their skills in a comprehensive 9-months training. After completing this programme I was chosen to work for the organization and the support and encouragement that I have received from my male co-workers is commendable,” informed Hiba Zeeshan, one of the participants of this programme.
Similarly, Habiba Sardar, who has been working for the company for almost 7 years now, shared, “This is a perfect place for both, men and women. The company offers us work-life balance like no one else. I am allowed flexible hours, which means that I can work from home, or work at a time that is convenient for me. I don’t have to worry about my kid as the office has a day care centre. I am also provided with company’s transportation facility which minimizes the travelling stress. It also offers driving classes for those who want to drive their own cars. Moreover, we are entitled to flat six months of paid maternity leave, a perk that is hard to find in most organizations. We also get decent salaries and other benefits.”
Basically, the company focuses on building up a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees can realize their potential and contribute towards its success. With an approach like this, the telecom company makes an efficient business by including women in everything it does. Females are working across all tiers of management including technology, finance, marketing, human resource, corporate affairs and trade marketing. While 8 per cent of leadership positions are occupied by women, they constitute 19 per cent of the total workforce.
During the age when women in Pakistan are even reaching the Biafo glacier and breaking boundaries in a man’s world, there is a need to accept the fact that an increase in female labour force participation - or a reduction in the gap between women’s and men’s labour force participation - results in faster economic growth. And we hope that more organisations follow the footsteps of the telecom company and start utilizing its most powerful asset - its women.
