When Kainat Naz joined a ladies-cordial innovation training camp a year back, she had no clue it would completely change her and her perspectives on how ladies can function in developing Pakistan.
Naz, 22, had never gone a long way from her home in Orangi Town in Karachi, one of the five biggest slums of the world, but she was feeling disappointed with her present teaching profession.
So she pursued a tech program called TechKaro, an activity by Circle — a social enterprise that expects to improve women’s economic rights in Pakistan — and is currently working all day for a software-house.
Naz said the course was challenging from multiple points of view. However, she before long found that the ladies on the training were as passionate as men at technical skills.
“From building up our CVs to giving us tips on dressing for work, to acting during a meeting, and how to fight some clingy questions. We were prepared for everything,” said Naz.
Ladies make up around 25 percent of Pakistan’s labor force, one of the least in the region, as indicated by the World Bank.
It has set an objective to expand this to 45pc, calling for more childcare and a crackdown on sexual harassment to urge more ladies out to work and lift economic development.
Work from home
Naz said ladies attempting to break into new careers in Pakistan could face opposition in the work environment as well as at home.
The most youthful of seven, she said she had the full help of her mom, who doesn’t work, and her younger brother.
“However, we needed to conceal this from my elder brother, who is married and lives independently, as he was angry even with my teaching job,” she said.
She learned the course of three-hour meetings held three times each week for eight months as tiring, however advantageous.
She paid Rs500 per month for the course that included 75 people and another Rs2,400 on transport fare to go to workshops.
“I had figured men would be better at this, however, when I was in the main part of things, and I understood that was not the situation. Anybody can learn anything if they have set their mind to it,” she said.
A month since the lockdown was declared because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Naz is working remotely.
“We use Zoom and Google Hangout for meetings, and our talks are put on Trello,” she stated as the ease with technology.
With no movement time or transport costs, she appreciates telecommuting.
“For those ladies whose families don’t permit them to step out of their homes, this sort of work would be perfect. All you need is a PC and the internet,” she said.
