Sadaffe Abid And Circle Women Pakistan
- Sadaffe Abid
Co-founder of CIRCLE Pakistan, Sadaffe Abid is an entrepreneur who, after graduating from Mount Holyoke College of Liberal Arts in Massachusetts, USA on a scholarship, began studying business and economics, majoring in economics and international relations. Alongside, she also studied disciplines like arts, philosophy, and religion. On her return to Pakistan, Abid joined a consulting firm that worked for the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and traveled to Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Bahawalpur, the slums of Rawalpindi, and other places. After a few years, she joined a set up called Kashf Foundation and focused on microfinance for women. Abid worked at the organization for 12 years, getting promoted from Operations Manager to Chief Operating Officer, and then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Kashf for two years. After leaving Kashf, Abid pursued a Masters degree from Harvard University Kennedy School Of Government on scholarship, after which she established the women-focused social enterprise called CIRCLE.[1]
- CIRCLE Pakistan
By means of introduction, CIRCLE is a social enterprise aimed at improving women’s economic empowerment to build and develop the entrepreneurial and leadership capacity of women. Led by Sadaffe Abid, CIRCLE Pakistan has been focusing on advancing women’s economic participation and empowerment since 2014, using advocacy campaigns and research. It focuses on developing and supporting the entrepreneurial and leadership capacity of youth and women in Pakistan in order to bring about social change through economic growth.[2] The movement's aim is leadership capacity building of Pakistani youth and women through workshops, face-to-face guidance, dialogues and mentoring, campaigning and partnerships, and fellowship programs that build a knowledge base.[3][4]
- Three Core initiatives of CIRCLE
1. Leadership development and increased inclusion of Pakistani women in organizational settings especially in leadership positions.
2. “Tech Karo” (Do Tech) bridges the digital gender-divide and leverage technology for under-served communities including young women and girls. A Tech-Hub with computer classes in Lyari has been set up.[5]
3. Introducing #SheLovesTech in Pakistan and creating an ecosystem for women tech start-ups, helping them build visibility, get access to mentors and participate in world’s largest women startup competition. The 5-6 week Fellowship combines the following elements Work Experience, Training, Skills and Mentoring, Social Innovation Project, and Community.[6]
Abid's journey to Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Islamabad, Abbottabad, and Peshawar was a search for Pakistan's best women-led startups and send them to Beijing for the SheLovesTech worldwide competition.[7] This initiative was taken in Pakistan by CIRCLE for She loves Tech, which is the world’s largest tech startup competition for women.[8]
- Other Initiatives
CIRCLE held a workshop at Alliance Française in Karachi to engage the youth as a symbol of social change. Six women namely Sadaffe Abid (co-founder CIRCLE), Nadia Patel Gangjee (Founder Sheops), Fariel Salahuddin (Founder Goats For Water), Dr. Sara Khurram (Co-Founder Sehat Kahani), Amna Chaudhry (of the Girls at Dhaba collective), Misha (Founder Misha Rizvi Productions) pitched their initiatives to inspire young women and girls. CIRCLE also launched campus-chapters in six different university campuses, including NED, Habib University, LUMS, UET, Lahore School of Economics, Lyceum, and COMSATS to try and equip a generation of young people to #BeBoldForChange and support women’s empowerment movement.[9][10] Another initiative, 'elevate' campaign, which includes male and female leaders supporting the idea of having greater gender diversity in leadership, by supporting the inclusion of women’s perspectives on panels and forums. The CEOs of leading brands and companies including Telenor, Mitsubishi, Bayer, Aman Foundation, Coca Cola, Abacus, Gul Ahmad ideas and others, joined in the campaign and support the cause.[11]
References[edit]
- ↑ ""Technology is a great equaliser and an enabler" — Sadaffe Abid Founder and CEO, CIRCLE Pakistan". Newsline. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "Leaving behind a digital foot print: Sadaffe Abid". Daily Times. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "Circle Women | Leadership Workshops | Coaching | Strategy". Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "The female economy". Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "Leaving behind a digital foot print: Sadaffe Abid". Daily Times. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ St, Perspective Admin (12 December 2016). "Join the CIRCLE movement: Changing the landscape for women entrepreneurship". Perspective. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "What do Pakistan's women need? Guest Post by Sadaffe Abid". The Feministani. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "Six women travel across Pakistan to kick off 'She Loves Tech'". Daily Times. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "CIRCLE: Empowering Women and Girls in Pakistan -". 10 March 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "Pakistani businesswoman Sadaffe Abid makes it her mission to empower women". The National. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ↑ "ETY fellows complete training to become social innovators". Daily Times. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
This article "Sadaffe Abid And Circle Women Pakistan" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Sadaffe Abid And Circle Women Pakistan. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
