Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is deepening its commitment to enhancing women’s leadership in Pakistan’s higher education sector through its Women Leadership Programme, initiated three years ago as part of the Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP) project. This program aims to address the underrepresentation of women in senior academic roles despite their significant presence in faculty positions across the nation.

According to Higher Education Commission of Pakistan announcement issued on 10 September 2024, the Women Leadership Program has already trained 161 women leaders across the four major provinces. Training focuses on a variety of crucial skills including governance, recruitment policies, financial management, and strategic communication, with a particular emphasis on managing work-life balance and gender dynamics in the workplace.

The program’s success is evident in its alumni’s career progression; notably, one alumna has ascended to the role of Vice Chancellor at the Shaheed Allah Baksh Soomro University of Arts, Design and Heritage in Jamshoro. As HEDP approaches its conclusion, HEC is setting the groundwork for the Women Empowerment and Mentoring Program (WEMP), aimed at expanding this initiative to foster more female leaders through mentorship and training.

The development of WEMP is nearing completion, with the committee responsible for its oversight convening seven times since its inception in June 2024. The most recent meeting aimed to finalize the program’s operational details.

The final consultative session on WEMP was led by Ms. Noor Amna Malik, Managing Director at NAHE, and included notable academics and professionals such as Prof. Dr. Anwar Ul Hassan Gilani, Prof. Dr. Saima Hamid, Prof. Dr. Arabella Bhutto, and Dr. Afshan Tehseen, highlighting the collaborative effort to ensure the program’s relevance and effectiveness.