British Council Launches Women in Leadership Programme

Karachi: The British Council, in partnership with SEED Ventures, is proud to announce the launch of its Women in Leadership Programme, aimed at empowering and developing the leadership skills of women across the country.

The programme, designed for women at all levels of their vocations, will follow CLORE’s Social Leadership training which will provide a range of professional and personal development opportunities, including training workshops, mentorship, and networking events.

Through this initiative, the British Council aims to address the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. The training is being held at Extreme Commerce College in Karachi, Plan 9 in Lahore, NIC in Islamabad, National Law College in Quetta and NIC in Peshawar.

The programme will cover a range of topics, including communication, conflict resolution, and strategic planning. Participants will have access to experienced facilitators and mentors who will provide guidance and support throughout the programme. In addition, the programme will provide opportunities for participants to connect with a network of like-minded women and expand their professional and personal networks. The training will commence in February and will continue till March. All 10 facilitators and 48 participants chosen for the project were carefully elected via a rigorous selection process and are spread across all demographics of Pakistan.

Maarya Rehman, Deputy Director at the British Council Pakistan said: “We are thrilled to launch the Women in Leadership Programme, which we believe will make a significant impact on the advancement of women in the workplace.”

“Gender equality is essential for a thriving and inclusive society, and we are committed to playing our part in achieving this goal.”

Shaista Ayesha, CEO of SEED Ventures said: “As women, we spend so much time being afraid of failure and of rejection that we forget to step back and realize the framework we function in is inherently patriarchal. Why is it that the pre-conceived notions of leadership are all male-oriented? Why do we not account for the uniqueness of individuals while establishing leadership goals? With this programme, we are starting a conversation on how leadership should not be gendered and that diversity should be celebrated as well. With WIL, we are starting a conversation on growth.”