To kick off our celebration, we’ve asked Sidra Sajid, Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer
Apricart, a few questions on her experience achieving success in the industry and what advice she has for women entering the workforce today.
International Women’s Day is observed annually on March 8 and celebrates the global “social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women,” The day also calls for action to advance gender equality.
If this Women’s Day you had to pledge, what would it be?
Play a role in the empowerment of females around me – be it through education, provision of opportunities, or mentoring.
Across the organizational ambit, which is that one area where you’d like to see higher women representation and why?
I want to see a higher number of female programmers and data analysts across our nation. We need a greater female representation in key-decision making positions as well.
Which women-related myths or taboos need to be broken this year?
The idea that women should pause their careers after maternity breaks is ancient. Developed countries have established the culture of facilitating their female employees through maternity leaves and work-from-home opportunities. It is about time our nation gets on board.
How is your organization encouraging gender equality and women empowerment?
Apricart is committed to fostering gender equality by ensuring merit-based recruitment and an enabling environment. I can proudly say at Apricart, female employees have a significant representation in all departments as well as in key executive and managerial positions.
In your opinion, how can women in the corporate world contribute to gender equality initiatives within their industry and beyond?
Women, despite the strong talent pool they can contribute with, are severely underrepresented in the workplace. Women in managerial positions can initiate change by giving women same opportunities in their teams, educating their workplaces, and mentoring the new entrants in the field.
In what ways do you think can men contribute towards gender equality and women’s empowerment at home and in society in general?
Men can be indispensable allies for gender equality by committing to change their behavior and personal outlooks, transforming their workplaces and teams to be more inclusive, and actively shaping and propagating the new social norms of equality.
What would be your message to young aspiring women looking to enter the corporate world in 2022?
Quoting Melinda Gates, “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” My message would be to all the young women to find their voice, use it to drive meaningful change, and help others find their voice as well.
