Pakistani women who made their mark in 2024
Pakistan
Pakistani women drew attention for records and achievements in 2024
By Ali Haider
As 2024 is about to go into the annals of history, it seems suitable to draw some attention to what wonderful feats Pakistanis have recorded. These records provided an air of hope to the masses hit by chaotic economic landscape.
The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the Pakistani women who registered unique records in the outgoing year against some formidable odds.
From being enlisted in the most inspiring women by the BBC to receiving a prestigious acknowledgement from Forbes, the year showed how successful women can be given a level playing field.
Belief in Serving Humanity - HADIQA KIANI Enlisted in BBC’s prestigious list
Her tireless efforts for humanitarian causes has earned her praise both at home and abroad. In 2024, she was named among the BBC’s 100 most inspiring women of 2024.
The list - 100 women for 2024 - celebrates those who have made huge contributions across various fields, amidst a year marked by conflict, humanitarian crises, and climate emergencies.
Kiani, known for making efforts to provide relief to the downtrodden segment of populace, earned massive approbation for her services after the devastating 2022 floods.
Under her ‘Vaseela-e-Raah’ project, Kiani provided aid to flood victims in Balochistan and South Punjab, building 370 homes.
When Woman Cop Saved the Day – ASP SHEHRBANO NAQVI
She thwarted a possible mob attack that could have resulted in the loss of lives in 2024. The incident spiralled out of control when a woman was alleged to have worn a dress with sacred verses written on it.
The crowd was in frenzy. They wanted her life. There came Naqvi as the saviour. Providing shelter to the victim, she also clarified that the dress did not have any sacred words on it.
“During my service, I have handled three such incidents, and you should have trust in us [police],” she was heard telling the mob in the clip.
After that incident, Naqvi was eulogized widely by local and foreign publications alike.
Pakistan’s First Woman Umpire at ICC – Saleema Imtiaz
In a historic moment for Pakistan cricket, Saleema Imtiaz became the first Pakistani woman to be nominated to the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires.
She is the mother of woman cricketer Kainat Imtiaz. Having years of experience in high-profile events, her promotion to the ICC truly marked an extraordinary feat for her and the country.
“I owe immense gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board for the invaluable opportunities that paved the way for this achievement,” said a beaming Saleema Imtiaz.
First Pakistani to Lead ACCA – Ayla Majid
It was a monumental first for Pakistan. Ayla Majid became the first Pakistan head of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). That she was the first President from even South Asia just showed its importance.
During her one-year stint, Ayla will preside over an astounding 252,000 members and 526,000 future members of the ACCA from over 180 countries.
She is the founder and CEO of Planetive Middle East and Planetive Pakistan, based in Islamabad.
Meet the Woman of the Year – Dr Saima Saleem
For her immense efforts in helping women to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem), the Russian Centre for Science and Culture honoured University of Karachi Professor Dr Saima Saleem with the prestigious ‘Woman of the Year 2024’ award.
She has so far 46 research papers to her name, according to Research Gate.
The professor is associated with the Dr A Q Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering of the University of Karachi. Also, she is the secretary of the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World - Pakistan National Chapter.
First Pakistani Woman as Chief Minister
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of three-time Prime Minister, took over the reins of Punjab as the 30th Chief Minister of Punjab. She was the first woman to hold this post in the country.
Political pundits called her election as the CM a landmark mark event in Pakistan’s political history. However, they mentioned it might not necessarily be related to women empowerment as she had a political dynasty behind her triumph.
Woman Entrepreneurs Shine in FORBES’ High-Profile List – SHAZIA SYED SHAISTA ASIF
The outgoing year also witnessed the acknowledgement of Pakistani women entrepreneurs at an international scale. In its yearly list, FORBES has mentioned two women from the country in its latest edition of ‘100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2024’.
Shazia Syed - former Unilever Pakistan CEO – and Shaista Asif – PureHealth co-founder – were mentioned in the list.
The criteria cited by Forbes in the compilation of the list included the leaders’ tangible impact on the region and the market that she serves.
Hailing from Abbottabad, Ms Syed began her professional journey with Unilever Pakistan as a management trainee in 1989 and worked her way up the corporate ladder.
In a LinkedIn post, Ms Syed said she was “delighted to be recognised” by Forbes and share the space with “99 other brilliant thought leaders and change-makers of the region.”
