Its been decades when women were considered no fit for all professions this world. But today’s generation women across the borders have overcome all negative notions and have proved themselves beyond doubt in all spheres of life including the most the world of entrepreneurship.

Here is the video we made with the list of 17 most successful women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. All of these female entrepreneurs and business women are playing vital role in Pakistan’s economy and also have big social impact on our society. Pakistani women are brave and have abilities to fight against social norms in Pakistani society and have strength to grow and success by living in this male dominant society.

Yet we are missing many other successful and amazing Pakistani women entrepreneurs in this video, may be in our next video we present them.  Lets get inspired from these women entrepreneurs success who are changing lives in Pakistan by their profession.

List of Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan

Nighat Dad

She is founder of Digital Rights Foundation.

Jehan Ara

Jehan Ara is president of Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA) and The Nest I/O since years and have years of experience in tech industry of Pakistan. She is graduated from Hongkong.

Kalsoom Lakhani

Founder/CEO, Invest2Innovate

Roshaneh Zafar

Founder and Managing Director of Kashf

Maria Umer

Founder/President, Women’s Digital League

Samar Hasan

Head of Communications, Karandaaz Pakistan

Meenah Tariq

Accelerator lead at Invest2Innovate

Maryam Mohiuddin

Director, Social Innovation Lab

Farieha Aziz

Director, BoloBhi

Sidra Qasim

Co-founder Markhor

Sheba Najmi

Founder Code for Pakistan

Mehak Jamal

Program Manager, TechHub Connect

Fiza Farhan

Cofounder, Buksh Foundation

Sahr Said

Founder and CEO of BeautyHooked

Hafsa Shorish

Director at PlanX-PITB

Zainab Tariq

Project Manager, Plan9

Momina Rajput

Head of Digital Accelerator, Telenor Velocity

The post 17 Inspirational Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan – Video appeared first on Techlist.

“Herself”, is a women empowering program launched by PITB. The aim is to encourage women towards the technical field and to create an opportunity for them to work effectively even when at home.

Recently Herself, has hosted a Graduation Ceremony. It’s not been more than six months since the launch of Herself and it already had trained more than 100 women. The ceremony was for the second cohort that had a total of 60 women.

The ceremony began with the notes of the Co-Manager of Herself and Marketing and PR Executive of Herself, Zainab Tariq and Ayesha Mubashir respectively. The two ladies welcomed the audience and talked about Herself. During their stay on stage they revealed some future plans and aims of Herself and also said that they expect more women to join them.

The Chairman of PITB, Dr. Umar Saif was present on the occasion and he took the stage to appreciate all efforts by women who made Herself a huge success. He congratulated Herself’s team and graduates. During his opening speech he highlighted the importance if entrepreneurial culture in Pakistan and the role women can play in the progress of technology in Pakistan. He encouraged women to take technical fields for economical progress.

He said,

“No economy can ever progress if its women don’t progress and with little job opportunities, venturing into entrepreneurship would benefit the society as a whole”.

The event was graced by successful women who are source if inspirational great mentors for the young learning talent. These included Angela Braid the Co-Founder Polly and Other Stories, Anoosha Shaigan who is Vice President Courting the Law and Ms. Sadaffe Abid the Co-Founder CIRCLE.

These ladies participated in a panel discussion during which many problems and their solutions were discussed. Moreover their point of view was taken on entrepreneurial opportunities, the role of women and available resources.

On the occasion Ms. Sadaffe Abid said,

“Herself is a significant platform for our women where they get to turn their dreams into realities”

A business idea competition was also held where three trainees presented a new business idea.  This was judged by the panelists who declared TeamUp, the idea of Sayyada Huda, the best. TeamUp is a platform where every sportsperson can make a team online and play whenever he/she wants.

Nabeel A. Qadeer, Director Entrepreneurship Punjab Information Technology Board joined for a closing note. After sharing the story and reasons behind this successful project, He congratulated all graduates and winner of the Business Idea Competition.

Nabeel said,

“Our nation cannot progress without the women participating for the greater good of Pakistan. Believing in them and providing them the right guidance will not only set them on the path to success but also bring benefit to Pakistan’s economy. Herself is set to achieve the same.”

After all the discussions, speeches and motivational recognition the ceremony came to an end.

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World racing towards modernization, ICT R&D Fund is welcoming proposals provide ICT training to Women. At the moment 48 percent of Pakistan’s population but the work force percentage is lesser than 25%, leave entrepreneurship.

Women being entrepreneurs is still a concept taking its roots in Pakistan. Ranking on scale, Pakistan ranks last in the Female Entrepreneurship Index (FEI) developed by the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute (GDI).

The Program targets over 500 women, at least 70 from each of the four provinces and aims at empowering them to become entrepreneurs as well as to spread awareness of the new tools of technology there too serve women. If all goes to plans the desired outcomes of the program are to reach women entrepreneurs the new ways of business as well as to inform them of the freelancing opportunities available in Pakistan.

The National ICT R&D Fund recently launched Pakistan’s first National Incubation Center in Islamabad and also plans to open in fours other cities.

Added to this the program also aims at teaching women entrepreneurs effective business ideas, product development and marketing. The Project welcomes Firms to submit a Technical Proposal with the Design as well as the Financial Proposal as per the Scope of Work given in the RFP document. The proposal will be the basis for contract finalization with the selected firm.

Section 2.7 states,

“The Company requires that the hired firm provides professional, objective, impartial advice and services and at all times hold the Company’s interests paramount, without any consideration for future work, and strictly avoid conflicts with other assignments or their own corporate interests.”

The firms selected would have to develop two week long customized programs which would teach women the different aromas of business, such as idea generation, developing etc.

The last date of submission is 6th March 2017, with the right of submission only reserved to tax payers.

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Jehan Ara (President – Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA))

Jehan  Ara

Jehan Ara (@jehan_ara) is the President of Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITES (P@SHA).  She has 29 years’ familiarity in Marketing, interactive and Communications New media. Worked in Hong Kong, the Far East, the UAE and Pakistan. She is a motivator, an entrepreneur, a social activist

She has developed the P@SHA brand and also generated linkages between P@SHA and native and international partners. She is collaborating on an enterprise called Take Back the Tech  in order to inculcate awareness on how technology can be connected to end Violence against Women. Her program Women’s Virtual Network is bringing more women into the financial fold. Also running The Nest i/o Tech incubation center.

She is in the Advisory Boards of the Punjab IT Board, Plan 9 Incubator, LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship. Also  incubator “The Foundation” and many universities. She is helping other female tech entrepreneurs in Pakistan.

Kalsoom Lakhani

Kalsoom Lakhani – Founder Invest2Innovate

Kalsoom Lakhani (@kalsoom82) is the Founder of Invest2Innovate, which funds startups and the wider private inventiveness ecological unit in mounting markets, beginning in Pakistan. Kalsoom is also the co-founder of The Hero Project, a storytelling stage that rejoices and highlights everyday secreted heroes. She is an associate of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers.

Diplomatic Courier’s Top 99 Foreign Policy Leaders under 33 included Kalsoom  in 2012, and was named an Ashoka Changemakers/ American Express Emerging Innovator for 2013.

She also created the popular blog, CHUP, or Changing Up Pakistan in January 2008.  She has been writing for the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, Foreign Policy, NextBillion and Pakistan’s Dawn Newspaper.

Roshaneh Zafar

Roshaneh Zafar – Founder and Managing Director of Kashf Foundation

Roshaneh Zafar (@RoshanehZafar) is the establishing follower of the Pakistan Microfinance Network. She sits on the board of numerous NGOs comprising Women’s World Banking, Pakistan Microfinance Network and Kaarvan Crafts. She owns the associate ship of the Vital Voices La Pietra Council . Also the World Economic Forum, UN Advisory Group on Inclusive Financial Services, Gender Gap Council and Financial Empowerment Council.

In 1996 Roshaneh have started Kashf Foundation in Pakistan. She is the Chairperson of Kashf Holdings and Founder of Kashf Microfinance Bank Limited. She is an organizer and Managing Director of the Kashf Foundation situated in Pakistan. Kashf was the first NGO-MFI to widen the opportunity of microfinance by leading insurance services.

She was awarded the Tamghai Imtiaz, and a Vital Voices Economic Empowerment Award in 2010.

Ghulam Sughra

Ghulam Sughra – Founder Marvi Rural Development Organization

She formed the NGO that was solely emerged for the generation of community investments funds. Her NGO name is  Marvi Rural Development Organization (MRDO). It is hovering mindfulness of education, health, human rights, and social development issues. She became her town’s first female high school graduate and the first teacher at the first school established for girls. She was granted   International Women of Courage Award in 2011.

Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai – Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate.

She is the young Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban and gained attention by this incident and has won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. As the global speaker for girls’ education, she had even traveled to the United States to meet President Obama in 2013.

Her efforts regarding education includes  the formation of Malala Fund. This fund invests in early stage girls’ education enterprises or small administrations in republics like Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya and Jordan. She has been working in the online digital platform WDL for more than 5 years. An online platform that provides digital training and work to Pakistani women.

Sidra Qasim

Sidra Qasim – Founder of Markhor

Sidra Qasim is founder and co-maker of Markhor that makes high quality handcrafted shoes and sells directly to the end customer. The startup is backed by Y Combinator and raised $107,286 on Kickstarter.

Sidra primarily focuses on product, operations and hiring. She studied Economics from University of the Punjab, Lahore and is also an Acumen Fellow 15.

Follow her on Twitter at @sidraqasim

Maria Umar

Maria Umar – Founder of Women’s Digital League (WDL)

Maria Umar (@MariaUmar) founder of Women’s Digital League (WDL) was designated a Thought Leader by Ashoka Changemakers. Also took part in the Change makers’ competition nominated “Women Powering Work”   and    “the Early Stage Award” was conquered by Maria. .

She is the Discoverer and Paramount of The Digital League concentrates on all sorts of computer-based facilities for instance reasonable content inscription. Also cybernetic support, systems of CRM , CMS systems, development of website , and art of making video films to clients all over the world.

She has taught entrepreneurship in universities of Africa. Young Global Shaper at World Economist Forum also included Maria and a 2012 Qualifier of Echoing Green Fellowship. She worked as a software engineer with Oracle, Inc. and Thompson Reuter in Minneapolis. Moreover, the  MIT International Sciences and Technology Initiatives curriculum in China was also designed by her.

Saba Gul

Saba Gul – Founder of Popinjay

Saba Gul (@sabagl) is the founder of popinjay which is re-branded from BLISS. Popinjay is serving underprivileged girls in Pakistan. BLISS was originally a non-profit organization where she was providing work to the unskilled women. It has now propelled itself as an income producing organization. So that the products produced participate in a highly competitive customer market of fashion industry. Where demand fulfillment can take flight and bring more revenue .

She is a human rights activist and a loving soul who ran her personal NGO with the designation of Originator and Director of TSF.

Rabia Garib

Rabia Garib – CEO of Rasala Publications/ToffeeTV

Rabia Garib (@rabiagarib) is the CEO of Rasala Publications where she is performing business policies, content improvement, training and design. Her desire for information technology, education and technology trade broadcasting are insightful. Based on her experience in technology trade media and junction of different media platforms since 1998, she was nominated as an Eisenhower Fellow. To exemplify Pakistan in the 2-month Multi Nation Program among 24 other countries, and specialized in the field of technology, New Media. And Trade Journalism.

She is   now concentrating on being the Chief Wrapper at ToffeeTV, which she founded with Talea Zafar.

ToffeeTV emphasizes on providing children with knowledge and entertainment in Urdu. She has promoted the local IT industry and the manner it helps to form Pakistan’s global image and often explains that the forthcoming and future of any nation lies in the hands of its children and the preservation of its language, culture and heritage. If you aren’t by this time concentrating on restricted content development for education, your well being will be caste by other individuals.

She was an eminent designer for Yahoo Mail, the corporation’s flagship service with over 260 million users. She is also the creator of Tech for Change, which is a non-profit organization, emphasizing on carrying entrepreneurs, designers and developers  together in order to assistance and eradicate most of Pakistan’s civic problems.

Sheba Najmi

Sheba Najmi – Founder of Code for Pakistan

Sheba Najmi (@snajmi) is the founder of Code for Pakistan, a technology determined non-profit structure civic innovation ecosystem to develop quality of life across Pakistan. She has widespread familiarity in design organization, product policy, product management, evolving entrepreneurship, and civic appointment.

Starting her career as a TV anchor and reporter, she previously functioned as a Fellow at Code for America and at Yahoo. Sheba is also employed at various companies including a Consultant at the World Bank Growth Hacker at Tradecraft, User Experience Design Consultant at Cloudwords, Incorporate and is significantly present on the Board of Advisors of Go-Fig Solutions.

Sophia Hasnain

Being a Market Engagement Manager for Asia, Sophia Hasnain is accountable for constructing relationships with the machinists and sponsors across the region, leading projects with the workers in the region to develop understandings on themes such as OTC immigration, fraud and risk management, efficient third-party incorporation, customer experience and rural distribution.

Sophia has 15 + years of experience of functioning on new ideas and growing them to deliver innovative products with IT and Telecom companies.

Fariha Akhtar

Fariha Akhtar – Software Engineer, blogger/live blogger

Fariha Akhtar (@farihaak) is a Software Engineer, blogger/live blogger (1st technology live blogger of Pakistan) as well as an activist. She finds issues relating to human rights particularly women rights near to her concern.

Basically she is a tech expert. She also became the associate of the TakeBack. TheTech campaign which wishes to boost the use of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) to fight VAW(Violence Against Women) and also to permit women to use ICTs safely.

Technology, Online Activism, Women Issues, Online Privacy and Security, ICTs for Development Not just surviving but thriving in a male dominated society of Pakistan. Also Reaching out to and empowering not just urban but also rural women folk Software Development, Online Privacy, VAW in Pakistan.

Above all female tech entrepreneurs are proud of Pakistan.

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