With an aim to propel gender equality in Pakistan, P&G Pakistan announced new declarations at the third annual summit of #WeSeeEqual. Hosted virtually, the event saw distinguished advocates and personalities from the media and private sector come together to address the challenges of gender and women’s equality in Pakistan, to mark the beginning of the global Equality & Inclusion month.
Built on the theme ‘Social Trends & Gender Norms’, the event brought together leading local voices on Gender Equality to challenge the current discourse and commit to the actions needed for progress. P&G Pakistan’s CEO & Senior Vice President, Sami Ahmed, announced that P&G Pakistan will be implementing ‘Share the Care’, a new parental leave policy that was recently announced globally. Under the ‘Share the Care’ program, all new fathers will be entitled to a minimum of 8 weeks’ fully paid leave. This will have a wide range of benefits that can improve development outcomes, including health and economic benefits to the mother, more equitable division of household labor and increased child bonding.
Speaking at the occasion, Sami Ahmed said: “Under the banner of #WeSeeEqual, we reaffirm our commitment with the aim of improving the society, celebrating and embracing both women and men to create a more equal, world inside and outside of P&G. We have made great progress on gender equality in the country with a number of initiatives that are running successfully to progress women’s economic empowerment and equality, in education, in the home and in the workplace. At P&G, we will keep using the voice of our company to spark and motivate actions on issues that matter.”
The acknowledgement of societal and family challenges, the importance of equality-based policies, the recognition of stereotypical expectations of men, and the role of advertising and media in changing bias were some of the topics discussed in the panel, which was moderated by celebrity activist and TV show host, Sidra Iqbal. To inspire the audience, the event brought together Sultana Siddiqui, Founder & President HUM Network Ltd., Sarim Sheikh, COO Offshore Wind GE Global, Maria Siddiqui, CFO P&G Pakistan, Sadia Dada Chief Communications & Marketing Officer and Muniba Mazari, Motivational Speaker and Pakistan’s First Goodwill Ambassador to UNWomen Pakistan to share their experiences and insights to challenge rigid gender roles and empower both men and women.