I recently updated my status on a business and employment-focused social media platform, to indicate that I am ‘open to work,’ and I was humbled by the overwhelming response. I received over a thousand likes, a multitude of reactions, and some incredibly supportive comments. I want to share the inner workings of this ‘job-seeking journey,’ which, to me, was my legal right apart from a candid attempt to offer my hard-earned, demonstrated expertise to contribute to the industry as my obligation.
Allow me to shed light on what often occurs behind the scenes:
1. Misplaced Joy: It is unfortunate that in the social development community of Pakistan, some equate your sincere search for an opportunity as a downfall, a sentiment I find rather deplorable.
2. Unsolicited Attention: As a woman in this space, you often receive unsolicited inbox messages from seemingly decent men who are more interested in obtaining your contact details than engaging in meaningful professional discussions.
Despite glamorous startups flooding social media, there is little conversation about the actual versus perceived needs of urban middle-class women.
3. Mixed Responses from Professionals: You may also encounter genuine responses from accomplished women in the social development industry who empathize with your situation, engage in conversations, and request your CV. However, their intentions may not always be pure; some may disappear, plagiarize your content, appropriate your ideas, or pass you along to their HR teams for sham interviews.
4. Discrepancies and Deceit in the Development Sector: Despite the glamorous startups and high-resolution pictures flooding social media, there is little conversation among technical and aid agencies about the actual versus perceived needs of urban middle-class women and those who are even more disadvantaged. The primary reason behind this neglect remains the elite capture. How can women from elite backgrounds add empathy to the donors’ agenda? How can a few elite women in leadership positions understand that concepts like financial inclusion and feminist funding are often nothing more than facades for the vast majority of women in this country? Just watch TV channels or Twitter for 90 seconds. I often conduct this experiment, hoping to be proven wrong, but to date, I have not been.
I believe it is time to pose clear-cut questions regarding the role of elite individuals in addressing the needs of less privileged women and highlight the lack of attention to specific demographic groups. Have you ever come across an “influencer,” a popular figure, or a best-selling author discussing interest rates on Behbud Saving certificates or championing the cause of including divorced mothers, women with disabilities, or never-married women as beneficiaries of schemes with fair profit rates, all before they reach the age of 60, instead of these programs being exclusively reserved for widows? There is a noticeable lack of attention toward the financial inclusion and empowerment of ageing single women who support their parents, siblings, and relatives. Many of them have raised children without alimony or any other form of support.
Within the context of sophisticated, carefully curated conferences and policy dialogues, I have yet to encounter a comprehensive agenda that directly addresses the hurdles faced by non-elite educated older women in their efforts to maintain their connection to the workforce. Such an agenda should represent a wide range of vital elements, such as equitable compensation, as well as safeguards against age-based and intersectional discrimination within the workplace.
It is ironic that outspoken, and intelligent women who do not belong to the traditional elite circles often face marginalization, which can result in a ‘limited’ salary or financial compensation history according to standard HR assessments. Challenging the norm can also lead to a lack of conventional references. I want to emphasize that I am not alone, and this segment of my narrative is not a complaint. Many women in similar situations avoid openly discussing this challenging state as they find it embarrassing, fearing it may further reduce their chances of securing positions that match their seniority. I understand their concerns are valid, but I insist that anyone in a comparable situation should not give up, even though it is undeniably a difficult choice.
Before I conclude, I would like to emphasize some crucial points: Hard work has silently, if not shamelessly, been supplanted by the importance of networking. What you know often pales in comparison to who you know. The industry is ageist and biased. Yet, I firmly believe that all seasoned women professionals deserve decent paid work. It is an important ethical requirement of feminists, donors, and defenders of human rights and women’s rights to raise their voices for their fellow non-elite feminists older women in the labour market.
The writer is Public Health, Gender Equality and Inclusion Expert.