As inconvenient and deviant as this may sound, I have always pictured my 25-year-old self as an independent working woman. It would be fair to claim that most girls of my generation aspire their future selves to be self-sustaining. However, the deep-rooted patriarchy in our society effectively succeeds to crush our future aspirations.
On Tuesday, 7th December, IBA’s iFem society brought back to life these aspirations. IFem officially launched itself by arranging an event named “Women in workplaces.” The event extended from 11 pm to 1 pm in the G&T auditorium, main campus, IBA.
Panelists- Breaking The Glass Ceilings
An interesting exchange of dialogue occurred between the audience and the following panelists:
Since iFem’s central aim is to empower women, I expected the audience to be dominantly female. To our surprise, the proportion of men in the audience proved to be highly astonishing. Ms. Ramsha Raza Kazmi began her panel discussion by expressing her contentment over the audience’s balanced gender ratio. Moreover, male students enthusiastically engaged in the Q/A session with the panelists. Mostly the encounters concerned the potential role a man could play to promote an inclusive environment at workplaces.
Panel discussions are considered inherently monotonous by many. However, the honorable guests truly possessed the skills to prove otherwise. And I gathered multiple tips on how to deal with gender-biased workplace crises.
Young Entrepreneurship
To begin with, Javeria Faraz, a young entrepreneur at Dollat.pk, enlightened us with an eloquent speech. Her experience proved to be exceptionally motivating. Full of hopes for young female entrepreneurs. On the whole, the electrifying deliverance of speech crushed beneath it all stereotypes against businesswomen.
Furthermore, I was given informative suggestions on how to build my profile while being a freshman. While the iFem management team was celebrating their efforts, I followed the audience towards the bake sale.
Women have been conditioned to legislate their life according to societal restrictions. “Women in the workplaces” acted as a platform to liberate oneself from these restrictions. In addition, gaining entrance in the auditorium with empowered women marked an end to my prolonged quest for a safe space. The empowering aura of the auditorium gave rise to feelings of accomplishment and self-fulfillment.
After the event marked its successful end, I engaged in illuminating conversations with our guest alumni, Ummamah Shah. She gave me guidance to navigate my undergraduate years effectively.
Triumph!
“Working-women”- this term in itself is considered very radical. iFem successfully managed to strip off of its negative connotations. Instead, it attached notions of empowerment and dignity. In conclusion, iFem, a revolutionary society, holds the potential to hit milestones in the coming future. Looking forward to more of such empowering events!
