Pakistan’s first certified female electricians inspire the world at Expo 2020 Dubai

KARACHI: Pakistan’s first certified female electricians inspired the world at Expo 2020 by sharing their journey to become the bastions of safety within their neighbourhoods.

Abeera Almas and Zara Afshan, who represented the ‘Roshni Baji’ programme introduced by K-Electric to provide a platform for women to showcase their talents, spoke about their critical role in creating awareness towards safe usage of electricity within premises.

“We are proud to be representing Pakistan on such a prestigious platform and share our stories with the audience. Programmes like ‘Roshni Baji’ prove that if women are given the right support and opportunities, they can excel and create a space for themselves even in technical fields,” Abeera said.

“We hope that other organisations also create similar programmes and empower more women to enter the workforce. We look forward to playing our part in driving Pakistan’s prosperity and reshaping its perception on the global stage,” she added.

Both the safety ambassadors of K-Electric took the centre stage at the Pakistan Pavilion’s recent event as part of proceedings of the on-going Expo 2020 Dubai and shared their experience that will help prevent injury and death causes in the country’s financial and economic hub due to faulty electric installations or usage.

“It gives us tremendous joy that through this ‘Roshni Baji’ programme, we have become the source of national pride. The journey towards becoming safety ambassadors was not easy, but we showed everyone that with determination and passion, it is possible,” Zara said.

“I feel proud to be a Roshni Baji; not only have I been able to create a change in my community, but I am empowered enough to financially support my family,” she added.

With additional rigorous training, these women also became proficient at operating and maintaining motorcycles to increase their mobility and became certified as Pakistan’s first female electricians capable of completing the internal wiring of a house, office, or warehouse on single-phase supply.

Zaki Ahmed Khan from the Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) also commended the initiative, stating: “Pakistan is progressing and we recognise that women can play an integral role in driving this transformation.”

“We are proud to showcase some of these inspiring initiatives today, and we look forward to collaborating with global platforms, leaders and experts to help Pakistan catalyze its efforts to the next level,” he added.

Launched in February 2021, K-Electric shortlisted 40 women in the first batch for training and have collectively engaged over 100,000 homes across Karachi, gaining access to areas where cultural sensitivities prevented male staff from engaging with women who were present at home. Currently, the second cohort of 60 Roshni Bajis is undergoing training as part of the next phase.

Upon graduating, several of these women have been inducted as full-time employees in K-Electric, with others using their skills to become entrepreneurs in their own right.

K-Electric, the Saudi and Kuwaiti-backed sole privatised power utility, powers the country’s largest city with a population base of over 25 million people. It highlighted key features of the pioneering programme and women’s role to promote inclusivity and drive safety awareness in communities is reshaping Pakistan’s power sector.