NICAT has introduced Women in the Ecosystem, a new community for women across Pakistan’s professional, entrepreneurial, academic and technology landscape, bringing students, founders, professionals and seasoned leaders together at the same table. A thriving innovation ecosystem is built on collaboration, shared experience and meaningful connection, and NICAT built this new community around the recognition that women navigating Pakistan’s startup and technology spaces needed a dedicated space to connect, learn and grow alongside one another.
The inaugural gathering, made possible by NICAT and its community arm Daaira, brought together 15 to 20 women representing more than 18 sectors, including DeafTawk, NIC Islamabad, the National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan Customs and OmniSolve AI, among other organizations. The room reflected that range, with students, professionals, entrepreneurs and seasoned leaders each carrying a different vantage point on what it actually takes to build, lead, persist and progress in their respective fields. The event was facilitated by Dr. Shagufta Jabeen, alongside Zujajah Khalid, Head of PR and Communications, and Lybah Tariq, Manager of Community and Events, with the afternoon moving through five stages: introductions, personal reflections, heartfelt conversations, celebration and lifelong connections.
What made the session resonate was the honesty participants brought with them. Attendees spoke candidly about the everyday barriers women in Pakistan’s entrepreneurial and professional spaces still navigate, from societal expectations that question their choices to the extra effort often needed to be taken seriously in rooms that were not originally built with them in mind. Alongside these harder conversations came stories of milestones reached, ventures launched and doubts overcome, giving younger participants still early in their own paths a clear eyed look at both the difficulty and the possibility ahead. Participant reflections captured the tone of the afternoon, with Mariyam of DeafTawk describing every story shared as filled with strength and heart, and Saniyah Junaid of NIC Islamabad thanking the organizers for creating a safe space for women to share such inspiring stories.
NICAT used the occasion to formally launch Women in the Ecosystem as an ongoing community rather than a one time event, with plans for recurring meetups, mentorship and a podcast series already in motion. What started as a single afternoon of honest conversation is becoming a standing space within NICAT for networking, continued support and exchange among women across sectors and career stages. The initiative continues to be backed by Ignite National Technology Fund, the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication Pakistan, NETSOL Technologies, the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park, Air University and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra.
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