KARACHI: K-Electric’s pioneering Roshni Baji safety ambassador initiative took center stage at Pakistan’s Pavilion of Dubai Expo 2020 on Friday, with female participants from the first batch of the program sharing their inspirational journey at the 'Women of Pakistan: Leading a Change' event organized by the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP) in collaboration with organizers of the Pakistan Pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020.
These Roshni Bajis are breaking ground in a country like Pakistan where female labor force participation (FLFP) has remained the lowest in the past 2 decades as per the World Bank. According to the reports, FLFP in Pakistan’s power sector hovers around 4 percent only.
The program was conceived in line with the UN’s 5th Sustainability Development Goal (SDG 5) that aims to achieve gender equality and women empowerment by the year 2030 and it is also aligned with the vision of NEPRA’s 'Power with Prosperity' program which focuses on uplifting the society at large. The program is co-powered by Guarantco and is launched in collaboration with Children for Concern (CFC).
Since the Middle East-based consortium of KES Power, led by Aljomaih Holdings of Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait-based National Industries Group (Holding) and IGCF, have taken the reign of the once most underperforming power utility of the country prior to its privatization; in most recent years particularly KE has been noted to be working consistently to ensure availability of consistent power for its consumers in Pakistan’s largest city.
The company has also been at the forefront of introducing programs that have revolutionized the power and energy sector of the country. On one side, these programs have helped KE in addressing some of the most painful operational challenges, and on the other side they have also supported the company in elevating its face as an entity which has been trying to bring a positive change through its environment and sustainability program at the grassroots level in some of the most marginalized communities of Karachi and its surrounding areas.
Recently in recognition of its work in its serviced territory, the power industry’s regulator NEPRA has also awarded KE with the Annual Award.
Abeera Almas and Zara Afshan, the two speakers at the event, were part of the first cohort of 40 women inducted from across Karachi in February 2021. Over the next 6 months, these women collectively reached out to over 100,000 households in Karachi’s most vulnerable communities, creating awareness on safety hazards within premises which posed a risk to residents and were easily preventable. Furthermore, the Roshni Baji program provided KE access to a key demographic of its female customer base which was previously hindered due to societal barriers. Sharing her delight to be a part of this illustrious occasion, Abeera Almas said, “We are proud to be representing Pakistan on such a prestigious platform and share our stories with the audience. Programs 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.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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