ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) celebrated International Women’s Day by honouring the dedication of its female employees, emphasizing the significant role women play in societal development and their contributions to the corporate sector’s progress.

Ms Roshaneh Zafar, founder & Managing Director of KASHF Foundation graced the occasion as the chief guest. In her address, she emphasized the importance of leveraging one’s strengths, being courageous, kind, and building a supportive network to drive change through collective action.

Ms Zafar, a finance enthusiast, shared her journey of empowering Pakistani women and establishing KASHF Foundation. The foundation offers innovative products and services to low-income households, particularly women. Her talk was followed by a Q&A session, inspiring the audience to celebrate the women workforce at SECP and beyond.

SECP Chairman Akif Saeed highlighted SECP’s internal measures to promote gender mainstreaming, including introducing conducive policies and increasing female representation in general as well as in leadership roles.

He proudly said that as a result of SECP’s measures to improve gender diversity on the boards of listed companies, 92% of listed companies now have women directors on board, compared to 31% in 2017.

He shared that as a result of SECP’s policies to streamline gender diversity, the women’s percentage amongst new recruits increased to 36%; there is 25% female representation in the management cadre and 24% female representation in senior management. Akif underscored SECP’s commitment to gender parity, both within SECP and in its regulated sectors.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024