WIL (Women in Leadership), commenced in the year 2014 in pursuit to inspire female professionals from different fields to reach the peak of their potential through process leadership and to celebrate women’s success. Keeping this in mind WIL has been orchestrating five separate sub-projects – Women Leadership Summit, Inspiring Women Award, Bangladesh Women Professional’s Network (BWPN), Leaders of Tomorrow and WIL Magazine.
Like every year, in the last assembly of “Inspiring Women Awards” by Women in Leadership awarded some aspiring leaders under the “Leaders of Tomorrow” category who flickered outstanding leaderships through their activities from a young age. Bangladesh Brand Forum had the opportunity to speak to these bright individuals to know them better and talk about their inspiring journey and what life had offered them after the addition of such endearing achievement in their life.
Farah Ulfath Proma, WINNER, Leaders of Tomorrow
Did Inspiring Women Award’s Leaders of Tomorrow cater as an influencer in your career?
Winning the Inspiring Women Award’s Leaders of Tomorrow surely was one of the biggest honors for me. It was not just an honor; it opened a new door to me that boosted up my confidence. I could feel that I certainly became a positive and enthusiastic person. It indeed helped me to excel in my career and whatever the goals I set.
What sort of transformation that happened in your life or career?
In the past year, I have engaged myself in a lot of national and international events and represented my country as well as the women in Bangladesh. Before becoming a graduate officially, I got a full-time job at OXFAM in Bangladesh which is one of the biggest international charitable organizations working around the world. Currently, I am working with a joint project of OXFAM in Bangladesh and the Anti-corruption Commission. So far it’s been an amazing experience to work for the country’s first-ever GO NGO partnership.
Each for Equal how do you define this philosophy?
To me, Each for Equal should be about how each one of us can create a gender-equal world. We all have a role to play in this. Each of us does not necessarily need to take big initiatives for all the women. Believing in equality and act accordingly in everything is the key to ensure a gender-equal world.
Do you think in today’s world the philosophy is possible to achieve?
Being a highly motivated young professional, I prefer describing myself as a Half Glass Full person. Also, I love to find the light at the end of every tunnel. So, for now, it might seem impossible but I strongly believe that we, the youth can achieve this philosophy and the day is not that far. In this era of globalization, the world is being mobilized faster than ever.
Do you identify your strength as a woman in your space? Do you feel you are treated as equal?
I can identify my strength as a woman in my space. Especially the place I work at is extremely aware of the matter of equality and safeguarding. However, I do not always feel I am treated as equal when it comes to this society. I still face discrimination when it comes to decision making in the family and society. I have committed myself to break the barriers no matter how long it takes and I believe the situations are changing even though at a slow pace.
Do you believe in equality or equity?
I believe in equity because when equity is everywhere, equality will automatically be ensured.
Saima Khan, 1st Runner Up, Leaders of Tomorrow
Did Inspiring Women Award’s Leaders of Tomorrow cater as an influencer in your career?
Yes, achieving the “Leaders of Tomorrow” award has been an important catalyst in empowering me to be an individual who is not afraid to make bold career decisions. It has helped me believe in myself to reach the most difficult of milestones in life.
What sort of transformation happened in your life or career?
I had received the award in my final year of University, a phase where it’s natural to be anxious about what the future holds. A lot of major decisions needed to be taken to fulfill a lot of dreams. As I was blessed with this Award at such a crucial point in life, all the transformations that came my way, be it the transformation from living the academic life to work-life or the transformation from being a seemingly confused girl to a confident woman, were challenges I could handle with greater faith and self-assurance.
Each for Equal how do you define this philosophy?
For me, “Each for Equal” means a space where every individual work towards equality and stands against discrimination of all kinds.
Do you think in today’s world the philosophy is possible to achieve?
Absolutely. The world is constantly progressing and, we, as a society, are becoming more accepting towards changes that bring greater good. As such, I believe this philosophy can be achieved only if we work hand in hand.
Can you identify your strength as a woman in your space? Do you feel you are treated as equal?
I am always trusted with work that comes with a lot of responsibilities and as such, I work with a sense of dedication and determination that has helped me reach the position I am in today. I feel I am treated as an equal in my workspace and home, both of which have never made me feel any less than a man.
Do you believe in equality or equity?
I believe in equity more than equality. Equality is when everyone is given equal opportunities, however, equity is when everyone is treated fairly without any impartialities. I think exercising equity is a far better approach to achieving a better world.
Adiba Samantha Pervez, 2nd Runner Up, Leaders of Tomorrow
Did Inspiring Women Award’s Leaders of Tomorrow cater as an influencer in your career?
The “Inspiring women award” acted as a sort of recognition for all the work I’ve been doing during my student years and gave me the confidence I needed to stand strong in every assessment that I went through during the job hunting phase. Even in my personal life, I feel as though I exude more confidence now than I did back then. Furthermore, Because BBF itself is an organization with strong equity and brand resonance, receiving their reward acted as a sort of testament of my capabilities and that too, I believe helped me during the interviews. The event in itself also allowed me to meet and network with a lot of incredibly inspiring people and I’m truly grateful for that too.
What sort of transformation happened in your life or career?
I’ve recently joined Unilever Bangladesh as an MT in the Marketing function (GTM). And I’m also continuing my work with Numinous, my own E-commerce business where I design and sell Tshirts, mugs and more drawing inspiration from my personal stories. Looking back, I doubt I had the same confidence as I do now in unapologetically chasing my ambitions as I do now. And I believe IWA did make a significant contribution in helping me build this confidence.
Each for Equal how do you define this philosophy?
I believe Each for Equal refers to how every one of us can contribute in our small way to make big changes happen. All of us can play a role in creating a gender-equal world and that should be something that we’re always striving to achieve.
Do you think in today’s world the philosophy is possible to achieve?
I genuinely believe it is possible. Growing up, I’ve seen how a lot of us would choose to not say something even when we witnessed something blatantly unfair. But things are changing and now more than ever people are raising their voice. This is a strong indication that the world is bound to change for the better and so this philosophy is possible to achieve.
Can you identify your strength as a woman in your space? Do you feel you are treated as equal?
As someone with a business (Numinous) that strives to deliver the message of hope through art, I believe being a woman has allowed me to truly understand people’s (especially other women’s) emotions better and empathize with them because I have faced a lot of what they face regularly. I’ve always tried to draw inspiration from how people grow stronger after going through their toughest battles and portray them through art. I believe in my space; I am now treated equally but I attribute a lot of that to the courage that women before me. They have set examples that it isn’t just possible, but that, normally, we have just as much right as anybody else to chase our dreams.
Do you believe in equality or equity?
I believe in both equality and equity. But I believe, we as individuals and as a nation need to first build a gender equitable world so that equality eventually persists everywhere.
Interviewed by
Bangladesh Brand Forum
