In the male-dominated field of technology, there are so many trailblazing women whose contribution to the ever-changing field has provided a platform to so many talented people and brought changes in society.

Pakistani women are also on that list. Let’s have a look at them as the world is set to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8.

Although there are so many of them living in Pakistan and abroad, this piece contains details about as many as seven women.

Nida Farid

This write-up begins with Nida Farid who is an aerospace engineer, but she extensively worked on energy efficiency.

She has experience working in aircraft manufacturing, wind energy, power segments, and energy conservation. She is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate with a degree in a field many would think twice to hatch out a female entrepreneur – Aerospace Engineering.

Farid made a great contribution to the aerospace engineering field. She has been the program manager for manufacturing the electro-structural components of the plane in Switzerland. There she also spent her time on the high-profile Airbus Project.

She worked on a project named ‘Karachi Energy Conservation Awareness (KECA) – Small Tricks for Large Savings’ to engage in the problem of the power crisis in Pakistan.

Her work in Pakistan showed that the country wastes more than 80% of its energy supply through different kinds of losses and inefficiencies on the power generation side and the consumer side. She believes that energy efficiency is the answer to get control of the trade deficit and end the energy crisis.

Maria Umar

Maria Umar is another name, hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She founded The Women’s Digital League in 2009 when the country was fighting the war against terrorism.

The name of her initiative is self-explanatory to provide digital literacy and work for Pakistani women. WDL is one of only two organizations to officially partner with Facebook in Pakistan, according to media reports.

Umar used the internet to find work for many other women who can’t leave their homes due to traditional mobility restrictions on women in Pakistan.

“Access to digital information platforms is what made it possible for me to realize my potential, earn a living and be independent. Now I am empowering all my sisters who are looking for better avenues,” she told DW in 2019.

Jehan Ara

Jehan Ara is nothing short of an icon in Pakistan’s digital space. She was the president of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (Pasha), which encourages the development of the IT industry, for 20 years.

She founded The Nest I/O to support entrepreneurship and innovation in the country. It is based in Karachi.

Ara is also the founder of Katalyst Labs, an accelerator and innovation hub for startups in Pakistan.

She is also a member of the World Bank’s gender advisory council, where she advocates for women in tech, and advises the government of Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab, on IT.

Kalsoom Lakhani

Kalsoom Lakhani is another big name in this diverse list. She is the founder and CEO of Invest2Innovate, which has been supporting entrepreneurs in the country via an accelerator and other programmes.

She received her bachelor’s from the University of Virginia and master’s from George Washington University.

Apart from being a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers, Lakhani is also a co-ambassador for Sandbox, a global network of innovators under 30.

I2i has so far graduated 46 startups that have gone on to raise over $7.5 million and created over 2,000 jobs.

Zartaj Waseem

Many of the tech followers might have seen her picture in an astronaut outfit. Zartaj Waseem is a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) education specialist and co-founder of the Pakistan Space Science Education Centre. She is heading the STEM Studio at Haque Academy.

She has also conducted workshops in Sindh’s Thar to promote the knowledge of robotics among children.

Her flagship programme is called Mission to Mars (MTM) 2025. Underneath the plan, her team has launched a variety of experiences for students from 2nd grade up to university level.

“Space exploration is one of the yardsticks by which a country’s scientific journey and progress are measured. Pakistan, unfortunately, is very low on that scale,” said in an interview with The News in 2020.

“Girls need to be encouraged, inspired and empowered in classrooms and beyond the classroom learning so that they may take up STEM fields in the future,” Waseem had said.

Madeeha Hassan

Madeeha Hassan has contributed to the Pakistan tech industry. She is a co-founder of Savaree – a startup akin to ride-hailing apps. It was launched in Lahore in 2014.

The app has been through various stages of incubation and acceleration. The startup has helped to solve commuting issues for people.

Fiza Farhan

Fiza Farhan is a leading global expert on issues about inclusive economic growth, climate change, sustainable development, women empowerment, and sectorial partnerships.

She is the co-founder of the Buksh Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps to provide clean energy and water in rural areas of Pakistan.

Buksh Foundation and Buksh Energy Private Limited under her leadership have launched many projects that cater to women’s challenges and clean water with reliable energy solutions. Her ideas were recognized by the UN Foundation and UN-Habitat as International Best Practices.