Persistence & Skill Taking Women Leaders Ahead in the Asian Business Landscape

By: Rachita Sharma, Managing Editor | Wednesday, 24 May 2023

Women across the globe are underrepresented in the workforce but the numbers coming out of Asia are daunting to say the least. When in comes to managerial position, women in APAC region account for 20 percent of all roles according to UN data. Eastern Asia has witnessed some improvement with the number of women managers increasing from 18 percent to 28 percent between 2000 and 2019.

However, this growth pace is not good enough. We are nowhere near parity. More so when it comes to mid-level and senior positions across all industries. Women currently only make up 17 percent of all mid-level and senior roles.

The barriers to women’s growth in the workforce are plenty. Societal norms, gender stereotypes, systemic barriers etc have been holding women back since ages. But that does not take away from the success achieved by thousands of persistent women leaders cross Asia. Although the odds were stacked against their favour, yet they have forged ahead to carve a niche for themselves in the male-dominated Asian business world.

We bring to you a few such success stories in the current edition of Women Entrepreneur Magazine. Gracing the cover is ace business leader LubnaBizrah, Director, Bizrahmed. Lubna has been a student of Jeddah Prep and Grammar School and graduated from Kings College London BSc in Business Management. She has lived in KSA and London, which allowed her to see both worlds and taught her to adapt to different cultures as well as communicate well with different nationalities. The experiences have shaped her into an unbiased & open-minded individual.

Janifer Queen, Founder, Acorn Consulting Asia is another prolific leader featured in the magazine. Having a Bachelor’s Degree in Financial Management from La Trobe University in Melbourne, and an MBA from the University of Western Australia, Janifer is leading Acorn Consulting Asia, where she is helping clients identify their insurance needs and providing customized solutions to meet those needs.

These women are joined by Dr.Maryam Aziz, Founder & Director of Jardin Pharma. Under Dr. Maryam’s leadership, Jardin Pharma has emerged as an organization dedicated to the production of natural, eco-friendly and halal drugs. With a focus on business development and expanding the corporate structure of Jardin Pharma, she has led the company to success in close collaboration with government agencies.

Next up is Reena Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO, Shandi Global. Reena has completed her graduation from Mumbai College of Pharmacy and obtained her Doctorate in Biotechnology later. Having a proven track record in the healthcare industry, Reena Sharma started her own plant-based food-tech company to replace meat but not food.

Last but not the least we have Sadia Haque, Co-Founder & CEO, Sharetrip. Sadia’s focus on strategic partnerships has led Sharetrip to become a pioneer in the travel industry, bringing innovative solutions and services to the market.

These women and their success stories are testament to the power of persistence and skill.

Do let us know your thoughts.