Should Corporations, Not Governments, Lead the Charge for Gender Diversity in the Workplace?
This was the focus of a parliamentary-style debate at this year's Employer of Choice Gender Diversity Awards, co-organized by the IFC - International Finance Corporation and The Pakistan Business Council (PBC). Packages Group took home the top honor, while National Foods Limited and Bank Alfalahalah secured second and third place, respectively. The debate was chaired by Ms. Fauzia Viqar, Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace. In her powerful opening remarks, Ms. Viqar emphasized a critical issue—workplace harassment is one of the leading reasons women leave their jobs, which directly impacts the gender balance in organizations. She stressed that when workplaces fail to address harassment, they lose valuable female talent, hindering efforts toward true gender diversity.