24-year-old Dania, from Swabi, KP, is not only a trained pharmacist working in the industry, but also one of our alumni leaders in our female empowerment project with PYCA. Both of these roles are extremely dear to her, as Dania faced many challenges on the way, and is committed to helping other young girls succeed.
In this article, Dania shares her story and how she uses her experience to coach and inspire others.
Written by Yusra Akhtar, Project Lead at inHive
The integration and application of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) span beyond academic learning and has been hailed as critical for the future. Much like in other parts of the world, STEM education is a part of political and educational discourse in Pakistan. More recently, Pakistan has seen the launch of many STEM programmes for students in schools, as a result of both increased government interest and funding, as well as public-private partnerships. One such development of note is the launch of the STEAM programme by Malala Fund earlier this year, which will also be supported by our partner Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA).
However, research indicates that Pakistan has a long way to go in order to realise these objectives. Moreover, while there is a general underrepresentation of women in STEM fields around the world, studies show that women in Pakistan are also less likely than their male counterparts to pursue careers in STEM. A report published by the British Council on female participation in STEM in Pakistan highlighted the visibility of female role models as a crucial determinant in improving outcomes for women.
Dania, one of the alumni leader volunteers in our joint female empowerment project with PYCA, knows first-hand what this means. A young woman from Swabi, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, Dania has trained to be a pharmacist. She comes from a family with humble means and has had to overcome a fair share of challenges and hurdles to have made it this far.
Her family’s moderate financial resources and unsupportive attitude towards her education were significant barriers in fulfilling her ambition. She always dreamt of doing something unconventional, interacting with other people, learning new things and building something of her own.
Head over heart
Dania faced significant opposition in her pursuit of higher education from her family and community. Her parents believed that education would delay her getting married, and that there was no real use of higher education anyhow. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon in Pakistani society, where early marriages for women is a norm in many families. This was also one of the most common challenges faced by the female students in Dania’s previous school who she met through our project.
Dania is extremely proud of the fact that she was able to convince her parents and family through tact and logical reasoning, rather than through emotional appeal and conflict. Situations when she had to win people over are too many. Dania tells me of a time when her mother insisted that she abandon her education to get married. In response, Dania argued how a better education would lead to her getting better proposals. Her mother agreed, and Dania was excited to have overcome this roadblock as well.
Dania was often blindsided by new forms of opposition from her family, or as she says, “A bomb could go off anytime,” She describes an exceptionally worrying time when during her university exams, her mother, overwhelmed by peer pressure, angrily forbad her from continuing her degree. Dania recalls how she first focused on giving her mother space and allowing her room to cool down, and slowly through her actions and conversations, won her alliance once again.
“For a while, my friends used to say that Dania is obsessed – anytime she finds someone who is not studying, she has to sit them down and convince them to study!’
Show them what you can do first
Many young girls that Dania engages with are demotivated by the lack of their families’ interest in their studies. Dania urges them to involve their families and share with them the newest updates and information they gain through their exposure to the outside world, for example about technology. This will keep their families involved, and they will slowly recognise the benefits of their children’s education. Once they achieve results and as they set an example through their own actions and commitments, their families and communities will become more interested.
Dania’s parents did not have a car, unlike many of her peers. But instead of waiting at home helplessly, Dania used to walk 40 minutes to school and back every day for 10 years, and commute 2.5 hours daily to her university. She got a job on the side to support herself and worked hard to get selected into various internships and coveted professional opportunities.
This left an indelible mark on both her family and larger community. They started to support her taking on opportunities that previously would have been unthinkable, such as relocating to another city to do an internship. But they also started to defer to her for advice and assistance. The same relatives who criticised her for venturing out in mixed gender spaces, Dania tells me, now approach her for timely medical help and professional health advice. Her father, especially, is now a huge proponent of Dania’s work and believes that she should continue working for the welfare of people and society.
It was surprising to learn that Dania actually did not plan to become a pharmacist. It was her plan B. When she missed out by a small percentage on qualifying for the university’s medical programme, Dania had a choice to make – either she could take a gap year which could mean loss of valuable momentum and buy-in from her family, or quickly devise a plan B. Having revisited her goals and redefined her priorities, she wasted no time in opting for the pharmacy degree. So, while Dania advises students to set big goals, and work consistently towards them, she believes in having multiple sets of goals, so that there is always enough motivation to back one up.
Surround yourself with the right peers and networks
As a young female professional working in hospitals and other high pace environments, Dania has had to learn skills they don’t teach you in school. Whether that be the art of communication, navigating harassment and intimidation, negotiating salaries or learning to lean into her expertise and skills, Dania found people and opportunities to tap into, to remain well-informed and self-aware.
“Whoever wants to succeed should be really observant – noticing people, how they act, how they make decisions etc. Bookish things help to an extent.”
Dania is now proud to say that while she may be young, she has aged considerably professionally. Having benefited from the mentorship and guidance of others, she is more confident and takes on challenges head-on. Dania is now entering the next phase of her life as Production Manager at a local firm, and I am confident that she will excel in whatever she sets her sights on – even if it is her Plan B.
