Achievers honoured at LadiesFund Awards

Yasmeen Lari, Simi Kamal, Sabeen Mahmud, Bajjia, Farieha Aziz,
Champa and Humaira Bachal were among those honoured  

Karachi

The Dawood Global Foundation held the 8th LadiesFund Women’s Awards for Pakistan 2016 at the Governor House, where five hundred of the most dynamic and inspiring women in Pakistan were in attendance.

Among those who attended were Ronak Lakhani, Lal Majid, Azra Mohyeddin, Masarrat Misbah, Rabiya Zuberi, Syeda Sarwat Gilani, Sehr Hafeez Pirzada, Jamila Habib, Nuzrat Hidayutullah, Shafaq Habib and lifetime achievement winner and guest of honour Yasmeen Lari. 

A very emotional moment in the ceremony was the posthumous remembrances of 2008 LadiesFund  winner Sabeen Mahmud and 2012 Lifetime Achievement Winner Fatima Surayya Bajia, given by Mahmud’s mother Mehnaz Mahmud and Bajia’s sister Zubeida Tariq respectively.

LadiesFund  was established in 2007 as an initiative to provide financial security to women and to promote and train women entrepreneurs. It aims to integrate the entrepreneurial needs based on the economic and social aspects of the local communities, with respect to greater women participation in the workforce. 

Tara Uzra Dawood, president, Dawood Global Foundation, announced, “We are delighted to hold the 8th LadiesFund  Women’s Awards for Pakistan 2016 where we continue to honour the most dynamic and extraordinary women in our country.”

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, who was the chief guest, said, “TheLadiesFund  network of women and youth is an important one in Pakistan. 

The government is always pleased to support and help them be empowered and educate the women of Pakistan.”

The Pioneer Award went to Nigar Ahmad (Aurat Foundation), the Angel Award to Dr Seemin Jamali (Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre) and the Idol Award to Champa (a village woman who has spearheaded the building of 28,000 fuel efficient stoves). 

The Commendation Awards for Art went to Fatima Sabeekah, Mehreen Hashmi and Samra Roohi, for Medicine to Dr Mahnaz Naveed Shah, Dr Rufina Soomro and Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, and for Fashion to Aamna Aqeel, Sofia Naveed Lari and Umaima Mustafa.

The 2016 LadiesFund  Women of Inspiration were Ayesha Khan, Moneeza Butt, Masarrat Misbah, Ronak Lakhani, Sania Maskatiya, Syeda Sarwat Gilani, Spenta Kandawalla, Zeba Bakhtiar, Zeba Hussain and Shafaq Habib.

The International Fellowship went to Naina Rani, the Image Skincare Bachelors to Iqra to Maria Jawed, the Eminence Organics Bachelors to Iqra to Marium Hashmi, the Nargis Soorty Musical Scholarship to Alycia Dias (renewed), the WEN Scholarship for Bachelors Iqra to Yamna Babar (renewed), and the Zein Obagi Scholarship for Bachelors AIFD Iqra to Yusra Tufail (renewed). Maliha Bhimjee and Jaweria Ali presented Educate a Girl vocational scholarships to the governor staff’s children as well as blind and handicapable girls.