Commemorating IWD, IBA-CED organizes a symposium on enhancing financial stability for women

March 08, 2024: Celebrating International Women's Day (IWD), the Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) , Karachi organized an event titled ‘Women Empowerment Through discovHER Finance Opportunities’.

Sponsored by BankIslami and the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), the event displayed a united front in the mission to empower women financially and foster gender equality within Pakistan's economic landscape.

The event commenced with Malahat Awan, Director, Alumni Affairs, Resource Mobilization & Corporate Affairs IBA, addressing the financial challenges faced by women and commending the financial institutions and banks’ efforts in mitigating these obstacles.

Uzma Mansoor from State Bank of Pakistan shared illuminating statistics and emphasized the institution's initiatives for financial inclusion, while Ayesha Ashraf Jangda from BankIslami introduced tailored financial solutions for women, including the Mashal Women Banking program.

BankIslami Mashal – Women Banking is introduced to exclusively cater to the unique needs of female population of Pakistan belonging to all walks of life.

Sabeen Shah from the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) discussed the bank's initiatives for women's education and financial independence. She highlighted the pivotal role that NBP is playing in addressing and combating financial challenges faced by women.

Distinguished members, including Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA and Ali Asad Heemani from Jaffer Family Foundation (JFF), graced the event. Dr. Zaidi passionately addressed the myriad of challenges faced by women and underscored the need for society to recognize, appreciate, and advocate for women's contributions across all sectors.

The Jaffer Family Foundation extended financial support to Qirat Zehra, IBA CED CIE-14, alumna, by presenting her a cheque of PKR 100,000.

The ceremony concluded with Dr. Lalarukh Ejaz, Director, IBA-CED, expressing gratitude to the sponsors, guests, and the CED team. The event served as a pivotal platform addressing financial challenges faced by women and championing a more inclusive and empowered society.