In this latest series of articles, we publish interviews of women working as professionals or students in the technology sector. The objective is to highlight their work and contribution to the industry and the community.
In these interviews, you will find women working in technology to solve real-world problems, break stereotypes, and create the next big impact on the tech industry. This series of interviews shows that even with the lowest rate of women participation in the labor market in Pakistan, there are still many smart women who are creating and using technology to work wonders.
Today, we are featuring Azra Maqsood. Read on to learn more about her work and get inspired.
1. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, your education, and your work.
I grew up in Dubai, and my parents, believing in investing in the best education, ensured all their children (5 of us) were enrolled in UAE’s top school, which cost them an arm and a leg. They also firmly believed in equal opportunities for their boys and girls, instilling confidence in us from a young age. Being the oldest, I was also ‘programmed’ to lead by example, and not studying ‘Science’ was probably a ‘bad example’ I set since none of my four siblings, all younger, of course, wanted to study science. To date, I still hear a hushed taunt coming out of the broken hearts of my parents and how none of us lived up to their dream of becoming a doctor. However, nothing could make them prouder once I got accepted to the IBA, Karachi (thanks God for that).
If I were to enlist and prioritize my strengths, I would say I am a ‘people person.’ I derive the most energy and am most productive working with and through people. Although I graduated from Pakistan’s top business schools, rather than take up a corporate career, I chose to pursue a career in the development sector, orbiting education and health. For almost 12 years, I headed an elite, private-sector educational institute, setting up undergraduate and graduate programs and creating industry collaborations and linkages so the graduates could be placed according to their career paths.
I moved to another educational initiative, Injaz Pakistan (an incubator of the Aman Foundation), which works with underrepresented, marginalized low-income communities, building financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship skills among the youth.
From there, I moved on to a World Bank pilot project, WomenX, where over 300 women startups across Pakistan were ‘accelerated’ into taking their startups to the next level.
I ventured into healthcare, heading operations at Pakistan’s largest public cardiac hospital and taking on the challenge of transforming the hospital and expanding its services to the entire province by establishing new facilities. This benefitted approximately 2.2 million patients annually.
2. What are your future/aspirations? How will it impact the community/society/your team/your project?
Coming with a purely social entrepreneurship mindset, I am passionate and gravitating towards causes where I can make a societal impact. For example, working with marginalized communities, like one of my projects with the Afghan refugee women, where I worked with them for almost a year, helping them launch home-based businesses. Similarly, I would like to continue my work with girls’ orphanages, where a group of friends have gotten together with a vision of empowering girls to achieve financial and economic independence through skills building.
3. Please brag about your career accomplishments. What are the things you are proud of?
I am particularly proud of my work with underrepresented communities, including low-income and Afghan refugee women. With both, I have led a team to build financial literacy, entrepreneurship (small/micro businesses), and counseling high school youth into chartering their career paths, keeping the lookout for the industry and ecosystem dynamics in the next four years.
While at Injaz Pakistan, I led my team to impact over 13,000 low-income community youth through educational interventions. We mobilized over 300 corporate volunteers and raised approximately USD $700,000 to run operations independently.
In 2015, the US State Department selected me for the prestigious International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), a three-week exchange program that builds on the entrepreneurship and education crossroads.
In 2018, the globally acknowledged Who’s Who forum awarded me the ‘Who’s Who in Healthcare in Pakistan’ award.
During my seven-year tenure at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), I developed and led a team that was instrumental in creating an entire cardiac healthcare network of 35 units, including nine full-fledged cardiac hospitals and 26 Chest Pain Units (CPUs) across Sindh. These units serve approximately 2.2 million patients and their families annually. These adult and pediatric cardiac interventions are available to all, free of cost.
4. What has been your best education/career decision, and why?
My best education decision was to get an MBA degree from the IBA Karachi. Not only does the IBA degree hold up to its reputation of corporate finesses, but the sheer pride of being an IBA alumnus creates a fraternity and network worth that opens all doors.
In terms of career, there is immense satisfaction in opting for a career in the development sector. I realized there is so much that you can give back to all sorts of communities, specifically the ones I talked about earlier.
5. What are the best lessons you’ve learned?
During my personal and professional life, I’ve learned dozens of lessons. In fact, I believe that every experience teaches you a lesson. It is how we evaluate and embrace experience and derive the lesson from our perceptions, knowledge, and abilities. The worst experience is your biggest lesson.
6. Which woman inspires you and why?
Quite a few actually. First and foremost, Zainab bint e Ali — a symbol of resilience in adversity. She has been a beacon of courage, not only against tyranny, but her strength amidst the loss of the entire family gives me so much hope for the women suffering violence, abuse, and economic deprivation.
In contemporary times, I admire Jacqueline Novogratz, who has curated and built upon the concept of changing the world through social entrepreneurship and moral leadership. My next inspiration comes from Sheryl Sandberg, and ever since I’ve read ‘Lean In’ that has been my mantra for life.
My list is long here, including Dr Rufina Soomro, a Pakistani surgeon who has done miracles with cancer patients; Jehan Ara, the first woman to have disrupted the digital entrepreneurship ecosystem; and Yasmin Lari, Pakistan’s first female architect, working toward taking architecture’s intersection with social justice.
7. Do you think Pakistan has changed as a society in terms of accepting career-oriented women? What needs to change to help more women come forward?
There has been a definite change, slow though, yet gradually moving forward, since the rise of role models in politics, sports, and the media during the last 20 years. The progression, of course, has more skewness in the urban areas, and the digital economy has provided an opportunity for economic and financial independence through remote work options. Political participation has also risen, giving hope for improved policy intervention in the career work streams.
8. What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?
Breaking the patriarchal, cultural, and social taboos. Till women do not come forward and support other women, the challenges of patriarchy and societal constructs around women’s empowerment will continue to breathe fire.
9. What would it be if you could change one thing about the tech industry/business?
I would encourage mentorship and sponsorship within the industry through participating male allies within the workspaces.
10. How can WomenInTechPK help you and other women?
WomenInTechPK continues to reach out to women of all strata, expanding to new geographies. If there is anything I can help out with, please shout.
You can follow Azra Maqsood using her profile(s) below, and please do not hesitate to hire her for your next project.
